ACOSS Reports & Submissions
Health
January 2012
In this submission, ACOSS outlines policy recommendations for consideration by the Federal Government in its 2012-13 Budget. The submission aims to resolve the tension between the Govern-ment’s commitment to restore the Budget to surplus from 2012-13 and the urgency of social and economic needs not yet met, of key social and economic reforms not yet completed.
Our priority for the 2012-13 Federal Budget remains to ensure that no person is excluded from the benefits of economic growth and prosperity and from the opportunity to fully participate in society. Some of the policy building blocks to meet this goal have been laid, including the commitment to introduce a National Disability Insurance Scheme, the emerging policy focus on employment participation for people excluded from the labour market, and last year’s mental health reform package.
July 2011
This document is the COSS Network submission to the Senate Committee's Inquiry into the Commonwealth Government's administration of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). The submission is made with particular reference to the Inquiry Terms of Reference Item b on the consequences for patients of the deferral of listing medicines on the PBS. The COSS Network believes that the Government's decision will further increase the inequities in access to affordable healthcare for low income and disadvantaged Australians. We are also concerned about the long term financial impact on the health budget (Terms of Reference Item f) and the potential politicisation of the PBS process (Terms of Reference Item i).
May 2011
This analysis was undertaken by Solange Frost, Senior Policy Officer, NCOSS
The 2011 Federal Budget makes a significant new investment in mental health and regional health while generally maintaining existing program funding in other areas.
The total investment in mental health and rural and remote health is $3.5bn over five years, which includes $2.5bn in new funding. Oral health receives a small investment of $53.1m over four years, as a pre-cursor to significant reform in 2012-13.
Some small cost-saving measures are achieved from program reforms, including pathology and hearing services. Future cost savings are anticipated from means-testing the Private Health Insurance Rebate and closing the Medicare Chronic Disease Dental Scheme.
December 2010
The development of an e-health system has the potential to improve the quality of healthcare services, patient experiences, and health outcomes through the more efficient management and communication of health information. However, it is important that any system is underpinned by a rigorous governance and regulatory framework to maintain consumer privacy, transparency and public accountability. In this submission, the COSS network has identified a number of key principles to underpin the development of an e-health system, including healthcare identifiers (HIs). We have also made comments on specific sections of the draft legislation and some more general comments about HIs.
November 2010
This submission responds to the Australian Government's paper Medicare Locals: Discussion Paper on Governance and Functions. It does not individually address the questions posed in the papers. Instead, it focuses on the implications of health reform for the non-government health and community services sector and the opportunities for government and the sector to work together to build a better primary health care system.
August 2010
Better oral health care must be on the national agenda : REPAIR: REvitalise the system, by focusing on Prevention, Access, Improved workforce and Research
August 2010
ACOSS' Election Platform outlines key priorities to build a fair Australia which ensures people on low incomes are not excluded because of social or economic disadvantage. We are calling for commitments from our political leaders on issues including: Work and income support; Affordable Housing; Oral health; Indigenous; Tax; Climate change; and measures to Strengthen the Community Sector.
July 2010
More than one in three Australians delay or avoid dental treatment because they can't afford it and increasing numbers of people are sitting on long waiting lists for public dental care.
In this statement, the National Oral Health Alliance calls for more affordable and timely dental services, particularly for low-income Australians who are mostly likely to suffer from poor oral health.
May 2010
The 2010 Federal Budget has begun to do what ACOSS has long been advocating - a health system that coordinates and integrates health promotion and primary care within a clearly multi-disciplinary model. However, important pieces of the puzzle are missing, not least in the areas of oral health and mental health. This analysis and commentary addresses announcements for the health portfolio in the 2010 Federal Budget, including some previously agreed to by the Council of Australian Governments, that are directly relevant to ACOSS priorities of improving access to health services and improving health outcomes for low income Australians.
January 2010
This joint submission from the Councils of Social Service network is in response to the Commonwealth Government's Exposure Draft Healthcare Identifiers Bill 2010. The submission outlines some key issues of principle that are important in establishing identifiers in the new e-health system and addresses some specific aspects of the draft Bill.
Key issues for consumers that are raised in this submission include access to healthcare services and benefits; privacy of personal information and data; consumer choice and control over personal information and healthcare identifier records; consultation and engagement on both the healthcare identifiers and the broader e-health system; and the transparency and accountability of the e-health system.
