“The Audit Commission “health section” can be described as a Curate’s Egg”
“The report includes some good thoughts and interesting concepts but there is a lack of detail and disappointing inconsistencies in some areas. A number of the suggestions are in line with Private Health Insurance industry recommendations to Governments over a number of years.
“Private Health Funds would welcome an opportunity to expand their role in Australian healthcare, particularly if they were given the option to purchase only the best quality services on behalf of their members, rather than having to pay for every service, as they do now. Disappointingly the Audit Commission makes no reference to this in its report.
“There is no question that healthcare reform is necessary. However any reform of the healthcare system must include improving health outcomes as well as saving money.
“Under any new proposal, private health funds would want to ensure that their members, who have taken responsibility for their own healthcare by being privately insured, are not disadvantaged.
“The Private Health Insurance Industry would be very keen to see the figures on which the Commission has based its conclusions about important matters (such as totally changing the health landscape for higher income Australians) before any meaningful analysis of the report’s recommendations can be made.
“The Industry notes that the Commission has identified the Government’s commitment to restore the Private Health Insurance rebate.”
Media contact: Jen Eddy 0439 240 755