Medicare package

Published

-Last Update: Thursday, November 20, 2003. 9:45am (AEDT)

Medicare plan wide of the mark: doctor

The head of the Public Hospital Doctors Taskforce, John Dwyer, says many patients will be worse off under the Federal Government's planned $2.4 billion overhaul of Medicare.

The package offers doctors an extra $5 to bulk-bill concession cardholders and children.

It also includes a safety net to support those facing high out-of-pocket medical expenses.

But that has not impressed Professor Dwyer, who is also head of medicine at Sydney's Prince of Wales Hospital.

"It is a piecemeal approach which in my opinion is only going to make the situation worse," he said.

"It does not solve the basic problems that we've been trying to annunciate and which I think the public understands more clearly than our politicians."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s993018.htm

-Posted: Thu, 20 Nov 2003 13:46 AEDT

Nurses reject Howard Govt's Medicare package

Nurses on the New South Wales mid north coast have rejected the Federal Government's MedicarePlus package.

The Government's planned $2.4 billion overhaul of Medicare has come under fire from the Nurses Association for including means testing and a safety net.

The association's general secretary Brett Holmes says the most negative component of the plan is the Government's failure to recognise that bulk-billing is crucial to the health system.

Mr Holmes says Medicare has to be improved so that general practitioners will use bulk-billing as the preferred method of charging for services.

"We have a system now that's being proposed which will provide a two-tiered system," Mr Holmes said.

"It will provide a means testing and a safety net system for Medicare which is clearly not what the original Medicare is about and it's clearly not the basis upon which we have developed one of the finest health systems in the world."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/australia/nsw/midnorth/regmid-20nov2003-3.htm

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The statement that struck me most was:

"The package offers doctors an extra $5 to bulk-bill concession cardholders and children."

With that I have to ask - Is $5 enough for health? - The incentive to doctors to bulk-bill children and concession cardholders is an acknowledgment of the pressure health costs have on families.

But it remains to be seen whether $5 a consultation is enough to maintain a sturdy public health system.

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Wouldn't the smart thing to do be to cap the insurance payouts, give docs in hospitals shorter hours and provide more nursing places? Oh no wait, then admin would have to do without the three secretaries each and the private use of the hospital cars. Ever noticed that when a hospital gets hold of some money it gets spent on the admin staffers first?

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Agreed w/the above.

But. . .

The real National IQ Test is whether we swallow Howard's latest Medicare con !:rolleyes:

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Last Update: Wednesday, December 3, 2003. 9:03pm (AEDT)

Medicare package talks stall

The Federal Government's proposed safety net for those facing high out of pocket medical costs will be delayed after a breakdown in talks with the Democrats.

However, doctors will be paid an extra $5 for bulk-billing children and most families from the start of February next year.

The Democrats wanted the proposed safety net to kick in sooner than the Government proposed, after patients pay $300 out of their own pockets.

Party leader Senator Andrew Bartlett says the Democrats and the Government failed to reach an agreement and the bill would now be subject to a Senate inquiry.

"I think it would have been irresponsible not to explore the opportunity to see if we could get better assistance for people," he said.

"It has become clear that the sorts of changes we thought might have been possible, given the Government's desire to get this legislation through, weren't as large as we thought we could get."

That means the Medicare safety net bill will not be debated until next year and Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott says that is disappointing.

"It's going to be almost impossible to have the safety net operational by the 1st of March and that's going to mean that some needy Australian families miss out," Mr Abbott said.

But he will go ahead with other elements of the Government's Medicare package that does not need legislation, including the incentive payment to doctors for bulk-billing children and most families.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1002438.htm

- - - I noticed yesterday - the doctors office I attend has introduced bulk billing - only for a standard or single consult/appointment or appointments specifically for having repeat scripts done. Previously had never used bulk billing.

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Just happened to be listening to radio this am, and heard one of NSW green members speaking re health/medicare etc. it was very interesting. I am very afraid of what will happen in the future if medicare begins to be eroded, once it starts to go in bits and pieces, it will be very difficult to get back. I want every Australian to be able to access health care when they need to, without having to worry financially about doing so.

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The Federal Governments new Medicar net seems to be more tinkering around the edges.

It fails to addresss the real concern - which is the lack of bulk billing GP's. The sollution to ensuring that Medicare reamins affordable to all Australians seems quite simple. In addition GP numbers, raise the Medicare rebate to GP's to level that makes it accessible and affordable for them to bulk bill.

Also who is going to keep count of the safety net visits and how (unless I have missed it) ? Wont low income patients have to make at least 19 visits before they get the safety net subsidy and high income patients twice as many ? The reality is that most of us don't go to the doctor even half as often.

Seems all the fiddling has not much to with saving Medicare, rather destroying it. :o

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I have a radical idea; Why don't we give Nurse Practicioner's PROVIDER NUMBERS and let them treat patients that doctors don't need to see. Nurses are specialists in wound management and ulcer care and frankly do a better job than many doctors I have known. Why can't nurse specialists practice in their own right.

Even if they had to work in a Medical practice under the "supervision " of a doctor it would still be better for the system AND for the patients.

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Specializes in ICU.

Amen to that - Though I have an idea some nurse practitioners have been given provider numbers. However I am not so sure we are not running into one of those "larger picture" problems especially with wound care. At present wound care is not covered by private health insurance - why - because there is no "provider number". If we started handing out provider numbers private health insurance might actually have to pay for something to with getting better rather than paying for things to make you feel better like aromatherapy. Can you tell I am jaundiced about this? I can get cover for aromatherapy easier than I can get cover for home nursing care.

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Specializes in Jack of all trades, and still learning.

In an aside, I noticed last night that the Federal government is introducing a voluntary system of assisting people on a disability pension back to work. I figure, if they have been approved for financial support, there must be a reason, so why try and push them back to the work force...And how long will it be "voluntary" ?

I am not against ppl learning skills btw. It just seems like another money saving exercise...

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