Articles on Medicare

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The AMA described the proposed reimbursement changes for level B consultations as “an assault on general practice”. AAP Image/Lukas Coch

The AMA and Medicare: a love‑hate relationship

Lesley Russell, University of Sydney

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has emerged from the recent brouhaha over the Abbott government’s proposed Medicare reforms as both a winner in the protection of doctors’ incomes and an apparent…
A blueprint for Medicare reform must include cost control, but also support quality and equity. Dave Hunt/AAP

New funding models are a long‑term alternative to Medicare co‑payments

Peter Sivey, La Trobe University

The Abbott government is struggling with its Medicare co-payment reform, scrapping the latest version for a period of consultation, starting this week. The government claims it wants to make Medicare sustainable…
The Coalition government’s proposed changes to Medicare have never managed to garner public favour. AAP/Peter Boyle

Autopsy of a dead policy: government shelves impending Medicare change

Richard Norman, Curtin University

The government has backed down from its plan to cut Medicare rebates to doctors, which was to start on Monday, January 19, after several days of public pressure. For those not au fait with the world of…
The big losers will be ordinary patients. Image Point Fr/Shutterstock

GP co‑payment 2.0: a triple whammy for patients

Stephen Duckett, Grattan Institute and Peter Breadon, Grattan Institute

In the May budget, the Commonwealth government proposed a A$7 co-payment for GP services and tests done outside a hospital. After seven months of fierce criticism, the government abandoned those plans…
The government has changed its proposed $7 GP co-payment to $5 but the flaws underlying the policy remain. AAP Image/Dave Hunt

Six things you should know about the co‑payment scheme

Jeff Richardson, Monash University

The Federal government’s attempt to impose a $5 co-payment on GP services by regulation raises the same issues as its previous failed attempt to impose a $7 co-payment through legislation. The consequences…
If you don’t have a concession card and are usually bulk billed, you may face a A$5 co-payment, or more. Image Point Fr/Shutterstock

Medicare co‑payment: what the changes mean for you

Emil Jeyaratnam, The Conversation and Fron Jackson-Webb, The Conversation

The Abbott government has scrapped its controversial A$7 co-payment plan and replaced it with a A$5 cut to GP rebates for patients over 16 without a concession card, and other rebate changes. The revised…
Tony Abbott and Peter Dutton announce changes to the government’s GP co- payment policy. AAP Image/Lukas Coch

Back to the future with Coalition attacks on Medicare bulk billing

Jim Gillespie, University of Sydney

In the government’s latest “scraping away the barnacles” of unpopular and blocked policies, prime minister Tony Abbott and health minister Peter Dutton have announced they’re abandoning the plan to have…
Peter Dutton and Tony Abbott have presented a less controversial Medicare co-payment that should be easier to sell to the public. AAP/Lukas Coch

Co‑payment compromise puts extra burden on doctors

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

The government has stepped back from its A$7 proposed co-payment for visiting the GP but still aims to skin the Medicare cat, putting the onus on doctors to send a $5 price signal to non-concessional patients…
The Dutch like their health system, even though they contribute to it from their own pockets. Bohbeh/Shuttersock

Creating a better health system: lessons from the Netherlands

Just Stoelwinder, Monash University

Australia has a relatively strong health system by international standards, but it needs a makeover. To generate fresh ideas, The Conversation is profiling five international health systems that have important…
In the UK, surgeries are awarded points and additional funding for keeping patients healthy. emanueletudisco photography/Flickr

Creating a better health system: lessons from England

Richard Norman, Curtin University and Suzanne Robinson, Curtin University

Australia has a relatively strong health system by international standards, but it needs a makeover. To generate fresh ideas, The Conversation is profiling five international health systems that have important…
If the Abbott government is clearing the way for a bold reform agenda, the shape of the new direction remains shrouded in mystery. AAP/Dan Peled

Abbott government health policy needs a sharper focus

Jim Gillespie, University of Sydney

The Coalition entered the 2013 federal election without a health policy. After a year in government, it remains without one. While there has been activity in the health arena, there’s been little coherent…
The AMA proposal would wipe out 97% of the government’s $3.5bn savings. Newzulu/AAP

AMA co‑pay plan: protecting the poor and GPs’ bottom line

Jane Hall, University of Technology Sydney and Kees Van Gool, University of Technology Sydney

Bulk billing without restrictions has been a feature of the Australian health system since the introduction of Medicare in 1984. It is particularly important in general practice, as it means any Australian…
As the queue grows, small increases in waiting times soon turn into dramatic spikes. Fotoluminate LLC/Shutterstock

GP co‑payment would increase emergency department wait times

Mark Mackay, Flinders University; Campbell Thompson, University of Adelaide; Dale Ward, Flinders University; David Green, University of Adelaide; Don Campbell, Monash University; Geoff McDonnell, UNSW ; Leonid Churilov, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health; Malgorzata O'Reilly, University of Tasmania; Mark Fackrell, The University of Melbourne; Nigel Bean, University of Adelaide; Peter Taylor, The University of Melbourne; Robert Adams, University of Adelaide, and Shaowen Qin, Flinders University

The introduction of a GP co-payment could see average emergency department visits increase by between six minutes and almost three hours, new modelling shows, as more patients opt for free hospital care…
The new Extended Medicare Safety Net will no longer provide patients with protection against high medical costs. flickr:tanakawho

A new, simpler Medicare safety net… but with holes

Anne-marie Boxall, University of Sydney

Buried in the details of the health budget are some changes to Medicare not widely discussed in the last 36 hours. Just as important as the introduction of co-payments for medicines and GP visits are changes…
cormann.

Infographic: federal budget at a glance

Charis Palmer, The Conversation and Emil Jeyaratnam, The Conversation

Since publication this infographic has been amended. The original version stated the NDIS was scaled back. There are no planned cuts to the funding of the NDIS.
It doesn’t matter how you count it, Tony Shepherd’s claim that Australians see doctors 11 times a year just doesn’t add up. AAP/Lukas Coch

FactCheck: does the average Australian go to the doctor 11 times a year?

Richard Norman, University of Technology Sydney and Philip Haywood, University of Technology Sydney

All Australians, on average, go to the doctor now 11 times per year. I just don’t think we’re that crook. – Tony Shepherd, Commission of Audit Chairman, press conference on the report’s launch, May 1 The…
We’re unlikely to solve persistent challenges to the health system, such as ensuring equitable access to well-coordinated care, with quick fixes. AAP Image/Quentin Jones

The state of Australia: health

Anne-marie Boxall, University of Sydney

In the lead-up to the budget, the story of crisis has been hammered home, but there’s more to a country than its structural deficit. So how is Australia doing overall? In this special series, ten writers…

Related Topics

  1. Federal election 2016
  2. General practice
  3. Health
  4. Health care
  5. Health economics
  6. Health policy
  7. Health reform
  8. Medicaid
  9. Medicare reform
  10. Primary care

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