AMA report card highlights lack of major reforms and big ideas in healthcare
The Australian Medical Association has released its Federal Election Health Report Card, welcoming the strong focus on health from the major parties while also highlighting missed opportunities to make significant reforms to the health system.
Launching the report card, AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen said the most significant investments in health over the campaign had been in bulk billing incentives in general practice, locked in by Labor in the March budget and backed by other parties.
“While we expect this will improve access to health for some more vulnerable people, the opportunity to rethink and redesign our out-of-date Medicare rebate structure has been missed,” Dr McMullen said.
“We need to future proof our health system and look at what Australian patients need, which is more time with their GP. Our rebate system isn’t structured in a way that supports GPs to provide that time. Through our Modernise Medicare campaign we have proposed a new seven-tier GP consultation item structure designed to meet the challenges of the growing burden of complex and chronic disease.”
Dr McMullen said both Labor and the Coalition had made welcome commitments to increase our GP workforce following years of advocacy by the AMA, with Labor locking in funding in the budget to grow Australia’s specialist GP training places.
“Both parties have responded to our calls for funding for additional training rotations in general practice for early career doctors and for funding to improve and equalise employment conditions for GP doctors-in-training — both of which were also funded in the budget,” Dr McMullen said.
“The commitment by the Coalition to support a rural, regional and remote health strategy was also very welcome, as it will sharpen the focus on key issues affecting rural areas and ensure they are addressed through a co-ordinated and evidence-based approach.
“But there are gaps in workforce policies. The AMA is calling for an independent workforce agency to develop evidence-based planning on workforce to ensure the medical workforce is distributed where it’s needed and for more funding for the workforce incentive program so general practices can help meet the complex healthcare needs of Australia's growing and ageing population.”
On public health, no party took the opportunity to commit to a sugar tax that could raise much needed funding for preventive health and help address Australia’s rising rates of chronic disease.
“No party has promised a sugar tax, which is an evidence-based policy and was supported by a parliamentary inquiry into diabetes.”
“However, we saw some good commitments in women’s health, with Labor locking in its women’s health initiatives in the March budget and the Coalition moving quickly to support these commitments,” Dr McMullen said.
The AMA’s report card also highlights a lack of policy on private health, despite the issues plaguing the sector.
“We have seen major issues in the private health system, with private hospitals closing or restricting services; declining rebates as a proportion of premiums, and frequent funding disputes between insurers and hospitals,” Dr McMullen said.
“Current regulatory and legislative frameworks are not fit-for-purpose. The AMA has been calling for a new independent authority that would create a platform for all the key players in the sector to come together and make once-in-a-generation reforms.”
Dr McMullen said Australia's hospitals continued to be logjammed and there was no end in sight to ambulance ramping problems.
“While there were some commitments to hospital funding made during the campaign with different states, and funding announcements before the election, the incoming government will need to urgently address the crisis in hospitals by expediting the National Health Reform Agreement,” she said.
“Our hospitals have been struggling since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Whoever wins government must expedite a new agreement with funding that supports increased capacity and improved performance.”