ABC
News, 24 May
2019:
"Have you got
insurance?"
It is one of the first
questions any patient is asked when they walk into an emergency room in the
United States, no matter how sick they are.
And now Australian
doctors are warning our own health system is shifting towards a similar US
managed care model — a patchwork of private and public systems, where health
insurers hold an increasing amount of power.
The president of the
Australian Medical Association (AMA), Dr Tony Bartone, made the comments as he
addressed the group's national conference in Brisbane on Friday.
It was the first time Dr
Bartone has spoken since the Coalition was returned to power, and he gave an
unusually scathing assessment of Australia's health system and the Federal
Government.
He called for further
private health reforms, telling doctors the increasing corporatisation of the
private health system had given insurers unprecedented power within the health
sector.
Dr
Bartone warned that could lead to a system similar to the model in the US,
where patients experience significant variations in care depending on their
insurance cover.
"Insurers should
not determine the provision of treatment in Australia, they should not
interfere with the clinical judgement of qualified and experienced
doctors," he said.
"Australians do not
support a US-style managed care health system, and neither does the AMA."
The AMA has consistently called for more money for public
hospitals, and on Friday Dr Bartone went even further as he accused the
government of "making a choice" to constrain the supply of public
hospital services.
"Let me be clear.
Public hospital capacity is determined by funding," he said.
"The consequences
are significant. They can include increased complications, delayed care,
delayed pain relief, and longer length of stay for admitted patients."
Dr Bartone said the
system was "stretched so tight" elective surgeries were being
cancelled.
"Our public health
system should be better than this. It is unacceptable our public hospitals have
been reduced to this," he said.
"Our public
hospitals are struggling and require new funding to be better tomorrow.....
