The Tasmanian Greens Health spokesperson Paul O’Halloran today renewed calls for a trial of a single-funder health model in Tasmania, amid strong calls for health funding reform at the Australian Medical Association’s Tasmanian conference today.
“There was resounding agreement at the conference that health funding is on an unsustainable footing, the system is too reactive, and there needs to be greater accountability,” Mr O’Halloran said.
“The Greens believe a single funder model would help address funding inefficiencies, remove duplication and reduce waste, all of which are hampering our ability to get health onto a sustainable footing.”
“It’s an issue where Labor seems to be taking a softly-softly approach, and where the Liberals refuse to engage at all.”
“We are urging Liberals in particular to get their heads out of the sand and give serious consideration to restructuring the way health is funded in Tasmania.”
“Health costs are increasingly taking a greater share of GDP, from 6% in 1974 to 9% in 2010, driven by rapid increases in hospital expenditure and pharmaceutical costs.”
“A single funder health model has capacity to consolidate funding, reduce duplication and inefficiencies and stop the blame games.”
“A simpler funding model would help to contain costs, simplify payments, link up services and information systems, improve purchasing power, make us more responsive to patient needs and increase accountability.
“There is also a critical need to improve our cost-per-service figures, which is behind the rest of the nation”
“If Tasmania could bring the cost-per-service down to near the national average then we could treat 25 percent more patients, taking pressure off our elective surgery waiting times.”
“The other clear theme from the conference was the need to keep people healthy and out of hospital through a stronger focus on lifestyle illnesses and smoking rates.”
Paul O’Halloran MP Greens Health Spokesperson Saturday, 27 July 2013
