Advocacy in action

• Conducted more than 300 meetings with politicians, political staffers, government departments and stakeholders.
• Featured in the media 436 times, across television, print, radio and digital news.
• Submitted more than 25 responses to parliamentary inquiries and requests for comment from Select Committees, ministers and government departments on issues that affect our members and community health.

Payroll tax

• Secured commitments from the Treasurer that non-GP specialists will not be subject to retrospective payroll tax assessments and that rural GPs won’t be liable for payroll tax.
• We’ll continue to advocate for an exemption for all GPs, in line with the recent Queensland decision, and ultimately for all private specialists and clinics.

Rural health

• Worked with the Rural Doctors’ Association of SA to finalise details of the rural GP agreement that has improved conditions for more than 330 rural GPs and GP registrars.
• Embarked on a rural tour of the state which has enabled AMA SA to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges confronting our members and colleagues in regional centres across the state.

Workforce sustainability

• Supported the rollout of the Single Employer Model, increasing the security of GP trainees and supporting workforce sustainability across South Australia.
• Established an International Medical Graduate (IMG) committee to identify barriers and establish support systems for IMGs in South Australia.  

Workforce culture

• Published the annual Hospital Health Check, which highlights the bullying, racism and discrimination and challenging work conditions that junior doctors face in the state’s public hospitals and the effects on their health and patient outcomes.
• Made eight recommendations to SA Health to make workplaces safer for junior doctors in South Australia, including to establish clear, fit-for-purpose bullying reporting pathways.

Social media

• Represented members at the Premier’s Social Media Summit, aiming to reduce the mental health impacts of social media on young South Australians.
• We’ll continue to advocate for action beyond age restrictions, including significant reform to ensure young people can access timely, affordable and quality mental health care.

Scope of practice

• Continued to highlight the risks to patient safety of expanding the scope of practice of health practitioners who don’t have medical training.

Women's health

• Increased awareness of South Australia’s abortion legislation as an appropriate framework for what is and should be a women’s health issue.
• Recommended action to support women seeking endometriosis diagnoses and treatment.

Gambling

• Wrote to all national and state parliamentarians to reinforce the need for legislation to minimise the risks of online and television gambling advertising.

Vaping

• Supported state and national efforts to reduce access to and availability of vaping products.

Road safety

• Worked with SAPOL to improve processes to assess older drivers’ fitness to drive. This will continue in 2025.

Infant food

• Supported a South Australian Government campaign to ensure toddler and infant food meets best international standards for nutritional content, labelling and promotion.

Free equity

• Secured the support of the South Australian Health Minister for AMA’s campaign to make Ahpra registration fees fairer for doctors on parental leave.

GP chronic disease management items 

• In September the AMA succeeded in having reforms to GP chronic disease management items delayed, allowing time for further consideration of how to fund the items. The AMA remains strongly committed to the reforms being introduced in 2025. 

MBS

• In May the AMA welcomed the new Health Insurance Legislation Amendment Bill (Assignment of Medicare Benefits) Bill 2024 — a key step towards fixing out-of-date assignment of benefit rules under the Health Insurance Act. The Bill was passed in July. 
• The AMA had called for changes to the Act to bring it in line with modern practices, including removing statutory requirements for patients to have to sign paper-based forms when assigning their Medicare benefit. We continue to work with the Department of Health and Aged Care on policy to eliminate the requirements for paper-based forms and increase flexibility in demonstrating how benefit is assigned.

Video telehealth items

• In June the AMA welcomed the release of a report that drops an earlier interim recommendation to remove video telehealth items for initial consultations with non-GP specialists. We provided a strong initial submission to the consultation opposing this recommendation and met several times with the department.

Ethics 

• In a submission to Treasury in February, the AMA called for a ban on the use of genetic testing in life insurance underwriting. AMA President Professor Steve Robson appeared at a press conference with Senator David Pocock and Mr Kylea Tink to advocate further for a ban. Prof Robson later reinforced the AMA’s position at a Senate inquiry hearing. In September Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones announced a total ban on genetic discrimination in life insurance.

Submissions and position statements 

• AMA Federal lodged more than 44 submissions to parliamentary inquiries and consultations from departments and regulators on key issues that impact members. It published six position statements and continues engaging with state branches and members to update other position statements. 

Medicines and Medicare

60-day dispensing 

• In March AMA Federal welcomed the second stage of 60-day dispensing, enabling doctors to write 60-day prescriptions for close to 100 additional medicines for diabetes, epilepsy, breast cancer, menopause and other conditions. The introduction of 60-day dispensing followed a concerted campaign by the AMA to introduce the PBAC-recommended change.

Sildenafil 

• In May we lodged a submission to proposed amendments to the Poisons Standard, opposing the down-scheduling of sildenafil. The AMA submission highlighted that the prescribing of sildenafil requires a comprehensive medical assessment to examine causes, contraindications and potential risks. In September an interim decision was made to not amend the Poisons Standard in relation to sildenafil.

IV fluid shortages 

• The AMA was quick to engage with governments when the IV-fluid shortage became apparent. Our advocacy led to the establishment of the National Response Group, which includes the AMA President and meets weekly.

Private health 

• In late 2023, the AMA hosted a workshop on the private health system, including ministerial advisers and senior departmental staff. Among the findings was the need for a detailed exploration of financial viability issues in the private hospital sector. This year the government conducted a viability health check of private hospitals, with the AMA President participating in through the Private Health CEO Forum and almost 2,000 AMA members responding to a survey.
• Protheses list: Years of AMA advocacy on prostheses list reforms resulted in the win to retain general use items.
• Medicover scheme: AMA intervention led to HCF fixing a problem that had prevented surgical assistants with limited or provisional Ahpra registration from accessing HCF’s Medicover scheme. 
• Nib known gap: The introduction of a known gap scheme at nib in October followed the AMA’s ongoing calls for national consistency in schedules and known gap arrangements. The AMA has sought consistent rebates to patients across all states and territories as part of its advocacy including through the AMA’s Private health insurance report cards.