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7th Jan 2014
Dental health: roadblocks to progress
Source: CroakeyFirst published: Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Dental Health: Roadblocks to Progress
A four-point plan for advancing equitable dental reform
GP co-payments not the real answer
Sydney Morning HeraldFirst published: Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Healthcare: GP co-payments not the real answer – there are far better ways to put budget back in shape
By: Tim Woodruff
The recent proposal to introduce a co-payment for GP visits has ignited debate about the financing of – and principles underlying – the health system.
A new tax on illness
Source: ABC The DrumFirst published: Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Making patients pay out-of-pocket for visits to the doctor is cruel and discriminatory, having most effect on the disadvantaged, writes Tim Woodruff.
A proposal being considered by the Abbott Government to introduce copayments for GP visits is economically dumb in addition to being heartless.
31st Dec 2013
Dental: does the government have a vision
Source: ABC The DrumFirst published: Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Recently a patient came to me for treatment of her rheumatoid arthritis. She’s 42, a single mum with 2 kids, surviving on a pension which she is about to lose as her youngest is 8 years old and budget changes mean she has to work or go on Newstart. Her teeth are terrible. For the last 3 years she has required antibiotics for tooth infections about every 6 months. I can treat her arthritis and there’s a good chance I can get her well enough to go to work, but only a modest chance I can return her to a pain free existence (and that will be with prescription drugs for years). She is one of the 400,000 people on waiting lists for public dental care. Because of her serious dental disease her risk of heart disease may be up to twice normal. There’s even weak evidence suggesting dental disease may play a role in causing her rheumatoid arthritis. Now that she has a chronic disease she can get $4000 of dental work done under the Chronic Disease Dental Scheme (CDDS). Better late than never. Even without that she may be one of those set to benefit from the recent Federal budget announcement of a $350 million package over 3 years to address the appalling waiting list for public dental care.
29th Aug 2012
Overutilisation of health services
Source: CroakeyFirst published: Sunday, April 29, 2012
The consequences of over diagnosis, over investigation, and over treatment in health care systems has dire consequences not only for those individuals subjected to such treatment, but to the rest of the population who look to their health care system for appropriate treatment or management. Thus, as has been said by others, instead of rational use of resources, many are subjected to rationing because politics limits the amount of public funding available and income levels prevent many accessing private care. As one would expect, rationing predominantly affects those who are not rich enough to use the private system or travel from areas of workforce shortage to areas of oversupply.
3rd Jul 2012
A strong public hospital system is the biggest threat to private health insurance
Source: ABC The DrumFirst published: Monday, February 20, 2012
The biggest threat to Private Health Insurance (PHI) and the private hospital industry is a strong public hospital system which has the confidence of the public. The carrot and stick approach of successive governments playing with the PHI rebate and Medicare Levy Surcharge has made little difference to PHI uptake.
29th Apr 2012
Addressing social determinants of health
Source: Determining the Future: A Fair Go & Health for AllFirst published: Wednesday, August 24, 2011
In their final report in 2008, the Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) called ‘on the World Health Organisation and all governments to lead global action on the social determinants of health with the aim of achieving health equity.’ (CSDH 2008)
The report of the Commission had three main recommendations.
1. Improve daily living conditions
2. Tackle the inequitable distribution of power, money, and resources
3. Measure and understand the problem and assess impact of action
20th Feb 2012
Fundholding, fee for service, and mental health reform. are we aiming for equity?
First published: Monday, August 1, 2011
In the May Budget there was a major mental health funding initiative. There were some small cuts to current programs, and significant expansion of others. Two of the programs affected are aimed at providing short term psychological treatment. What do the changes tell us about the direction of Government policy?