Good health policy - a prescription for votes AMA's key health issues for the 2001 election
AMA President, Dr Kerryn Phelps, today released 'Key Health Issues for the 2001 Election', an AMA guide for politicians about what the community expects from the next Government in health policy.
Dr Phelps said recent polling has shown that people are more concerned about issues such as health and education than tax policies.
"Health will be the number one issue at the election," Dr Phelps said.
"AMA members - GPs and other specialists - are respected members of their communities. They consult millions of Australians and learn daily about patient needs and patient expectations about their health and the health of their families and friends.
"Doctors and their patients know what is good and what is bad about the health system in Australia today, and it is their opinions, their experiences and their feedback that forms the AMA policies outlined in our policy document.
"We hope all politicians will take note of the issues raised in the AMA guide because they are the things that concern the patients who will be voting at the election later this year."
Key Health Issues for the 2001 Election canvasses the following issues and how they impact on patients and the Government:
The Decline in Bulk Billing |
Rural and Remote Health |
Urban Areas of Need |
Aged Care |
Public Hospitals |
Indigenous Health |
Tobacco, Alcohol and Illicit Drugs |
Youth Health |
Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) |
Pharmaceutical Costs |
National Competition Principles, the Trade Practices Act and the ACCC |
The Case Against Agreements to Cap Medical Expenditure |
Corporatisation of Medical Practice |
General Practice Training |
Private Health Insurance |
Junior Doctor Working Hours |
Medical Indemnity |
Privacy |
Dr Phelps said the AMA is available to discuss these issues in more detail with the major parties as they prepare their health policies for the election.
"For the sake of this and future generations of Australians, it is important that we set health policy beyond the limits of a three year electoral term," Dr Phelps said.
CONTACT: John Flannery (02) 6270 5477 / (0419) 494 761
Sarah Crichton (02) 6270 5472 / (0419) 440 076