President’s update: time to Modernise Medicare, and calling all rural doctors… again!

Hello again and happy Friday!

I was in Canberra this week to launch our updated Modernise Medicare campaign at Parliament House. This is the first of our campaign launches ahead of the federal budget and the federal election, so stay tuned as we are continuing to work on policy solutions to tackle issues across the health sector — from private healthcare to public hospitals, primary care, and public health.  

As I told journalists at the campaign launch, general practice is the cornerstone of healthcare in Australia, and the foundation of that is built on Medicare. But Medicare was built in 1984 and it’s out-of-date. Channel 9 reported on this and our plans for a seven-tier Medicare item structure and more incentives to train GPs, as did SBS News. The campaign was also covered by newspapers and radio around the country, and I did an early interview with the ABC News Breakfast television program.

You can find more information about the campaign (including the model, our detailed policy brief and federal budget submission on general practice), on the Modernise Medicare website. And if you have any questions about our campaign, you can contact me directly at president@ama.com.au or ask our campaigns team by emailing membership@ama.com.au. 

Last week, we launched our Rural Health Issues Survey — an important survey allowing our rural and regional doctors to have their say and make sure the issues of most importance to you are at the top of our list. The survey is open to all doctors who currently or previously have worked in rural/regional health, not just AMA members, so please feel free to forward the survey to your networks (and remind them to join the AMA while you’re at it…).

I’ll be in Canberra again next week for the AMA’s Rising temperatures, rising risks roundtable with stakeholders from multiple sectors discussing measures to tackle climate change. This feels particularly timely given the heatwaves, floods and fires we’re seeing across the country this week. On that note, I hope you, your families, and practices are all safe and well. Natural disasters always remind us of the critical importance of healthcare services. The involvement of doctors in both disaster preparedness and response measures is critical, and we remind decision-makers of that at every opportunity. A reminder to reach out to your state or territory AMA or Drs4Drs, who can help connect you to local supports if needed at this difficult time.

Until next week, stay safe, and if you get a moment, please remember to check out our Modernise Medicare campaign, click the button to write to your MP, and share the campaign widely!