Download PDF The mental health of Australians has been the cornerstone of my career. From my frontline work as a psychologist in major NSW hospitals to my current role as CEO of the Australian Patients Association, my focus has always been unwavering: putting patients first. It is from this perspective that I find the looming mass resignation of 201 out of 260 public hospital staff specialist psychiatrists in NSW deeply troubling. This drastic action, a response to unmet demands for
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Original Article: https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/health-and-wellness/price-must-be-right-to-put-obesity-pill-on-the-pbs-20250106-p5l2av Download PDF It is vital that the gatekeepers of the scheme hold the line on the cost benefits of blockbuster drugs. Whether to fully subsidise the new-generation weight loss drugs such as Mounjaro and Ozempic for obese Australians without diabetes represents one of the most challenging decisions in years for the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC). The drugs are known collectively as GLP-1 agonists, and no other class of medications has gained such a foothold in the
Original Article: https://www.afr.com/policy/health-and-education/mediscare-he-said-she-said-insults-voters-intelligence-20250106-p5l2b4 Download PDF A Labor- Coalition clash over bulk-billing is not only foolish, but masks the fact that much more must be done to keep our healthcare system fit for purpose. Since the demise of the Abbott government’s $7 mandatory GP co-payment, a 2014 budget measure, Medicare bulk-billing for general practitioner services has become more of an untouchable sacred cow than ever. It has become as preserved in political aspic as the sclerotic, chaotic and inefficient National
Source | PDF Independent hospital pricing an opportunity for genuine health reform The reality is private hospitals need fairer agreements with health funds. Providers, insurers, and government need to start a conversation. Martin Bowles | CEO Calvary Health Care As models of care and medical technology continue to advance, patient outcomes in Australia remain second to none. Our healthcare structure stands out in its balance of public and private sectors complementing each other to offer patients both accessibility and choice.
By Harriet Grayson in Health Services Daily From: https://www.healthservicesdaily.com.au/doctor-supported-death-squads-make-an-appearance/21901 It was just another day at the NSW Special Commission of Inquiry into Healthcare Spending, where today’s death squad is tomorrow’s complex care committee. Establishing hospital or LHD-based committees to make decisions about further interventions for complex patients would be beneficial in reducing low-value care but carry a reputation of being “doctor-supported death squads”, an inquiry has heard. A senior clinician with Mid North Coast LHD told the NSW Special
Original Link: https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/whistleblower-alleges-widespread-fraud-by-dozens-of-double-dipping-specialist-doctors-sparking-probes-20241113-p5kq5h.html November 16, 2024 | Age, The/The Sunday Age (Melbourne, Australia) | Melissa Cunningham | CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER | Page 6 Dozens of anaesthetists and surgeons have been accused of systematic fraud, double-dipping and pocketing off-the-book fees in a damning whistleblower complaint that has sparked probes by a federal regulator and private health insurers. The complaint centres on allegations that a group of doctors based on the Mornington Peninsula have been charging patients hidden out-of-pocket costs
Original Link: https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/call-for-cheating-doctors-to-be-named-and-shamed-20241116-p5kr5b.html November 16, 2024 | Age, The/The Sunday Age: Web Edition Articles (Melbourne, Australia) | Melissa Cunningham Doctors who overbill patients should be named and shamed on a public register, according to one of Australia’s top health economists, and a class action against a group of Mornington Peninsula doctors allegedly overcharging might be on the cards. Patients have also been urged to check their Medicare records to ensure they have not been wrongly charged by their doctors. The
September 20, 2024 | Australian, The: Web Edition Articles (Australia) Author/Byline: Steve Robson | Section: Inquirer 2240 Words Australians could be forgiven for thinking their health system is crumbling around them at the worst possible time. We read reports of patients dying while waiting for ambulances to arrive, or in the back of ramped ambulances queueing up outside emergency departments. The number of Australians waiting for surgery in our public hospitals has reached an unprecedented level. Outside of public hospitals,
DANIELLE LONG 12:15am August 26, 2024 New York University marketing professor, best-selling author and award-winning podcaster Scott Galloway Ozempicand similar GLP-1 medicationsfor diabetes and obesity are set to dramatically transform the market as the drug’s flow-on effects impact food, drinks, quick-service restaurant brands and beyond, New York University marketing professor, best-selling author and podcaster Scott Galloway says. Speaking in Sydney last week at the ADMA Global Forum, Mr Galloway predicted the GLP-1 agonists would have a more significant impact on the
original article (FT paywall) PDF Opinion Food diet Ultra-processed and fast food is everywhere — and causing us harm It’s time we saw these products for what they are, stripped of their disingenuous branding Simon Wroe The writer is the author of the novel ‘Chop Chop’ and of ‘Sweet Dreams’, an immersive cinema experience Picture a world where Tony the Tiger is caged, Ronald McDonald has hung up his clown shoes, and Colonel Sanders is court-martialled; where what’s euphemistically