The Australian Health Insurance Association (AHIA) today welcomed Health Minister Nicola Roxon’s response to the Doyle Review of Prosthesis Listing Arrangements.
AHIA CEO, Hon. Dr Michael Armitage said the Minister’s decision to endorse 6 of the 14 recommendations of the Review was reasonable and consistent with the Private Health Insurance Industry’s assessment of the Doyle Review.
These 6 Recommendations are the ones which will be most positively viewed by Consumers.
Dr Armitage said the PHI Industry supported the recommendations which had been approved for immediate implementation, such as Recommendation 8 which states that “Items that do not meet the criteria be removed from the List”.
“The Industry advised the Government that it had a number of concerns with the Doyle Review, in particular the recommendation to abolish the PDC, PDNG and the PAG (Recommendation 9) on the basis that this would remove transparency and reduce the effects of market forces on the supply of prostheses in Australia. I am pleased the Minister has postponed consideration of this and a number of other recommendations until the completion of the Health Technology Assessment Review.
“The PHI Industry will continue to work with the Government to ensure that refinements to the private health insurance prostheses listing arrangements deliver the best possible outcome for the
10.9 million privately insured Australians,” said Dr Armitage.
Media contact: Jen Eddy 02 62021000