AMA Submission to Productivity Commission Inquiry into Disability Care and Support
The AMA supports the establishment of a national disability insurance scheme which is "no fault" and comprehensive in the care and support it provides to cover the cost of long-term care for people with serious disabilities. The AMA's submission to the Productivity Commission's Inquiry brings to bear the expertise and collective experiences of the medical profession on what might contribute to the success of an optimally operating national disability support scheme from a health and medical point of view.
There are high levels of unmet demand for disability services, as well as an expected decline in the availability of informal carers. Disability service systems across Australia are commonly regarded as poorly resourced, ill-coordinated and inadequate to the long term health care and support needs of individuals with a serious disability. Access to appropriate levels of care and aids is inconsistent. The historical reliance on informal carers has also substantially shifted costs on to families and civil society. The disability care system in Australia does not reflect the goals of enhanced social and economic participation underlying the National Disability Strategy.
The AMA agrees that a suitably constructed national disability insurance scheme for long term care and support would resolve many of these problems. The AMA submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Disability Care and Support makes twenty-six recommendations on design issues, governance and administration, financing options, and the implementation of a feasible disability care and support scheme, all from a health and medical perspective. A particular focus is the inter-relationship between the level of care and support that people with a disability need, and the degree to which their health and medical needs are adequately met.