Doorstop Interview Transcript 21 May 2008

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Transcript

Item:

THE NATIONAL HEALTH AND HOSPITAL REFORM COMMISSION (NHHRC) IS MEETING IN CANBERRA TODAY TO KICK OFF A SERIES OF MEETINGS IN ALL CAPITAL CITIES, TERRITORIES, AND REGIONAL CENTRES.

INTERVIEWEES:

DR CHRISTINE BENNETT, CHAIR OF THE NATIONAL HEALTH AND HOSPITAL REFORM COMMISSION

DR CHRISTINE BENNETT:
Who's going to start?

QUESTION:
Do, do the, the estimates about the impact of the surcharge levy impact at all on the sorts of things you're talking about?

DR CHRISTINE BENNETT:
The Commission is looking at a long-term view for health, and obviously...

UNIDENTIFIED:
Can you just sort of look, look towards the cameras please?

DR CHRISTINE BENNETT:
Yeah. Okay. Okay. I'll talk to John.

UNIDENTIFIED:
Thank you.

DR CHRISTINE BENNETT:
The Commission is looking at the long-term health system for Australia, and obviously our mixed public private system has served us well, and both sides of government, and the community value health, private health as well as public health. So, obviously we'll be very interested to see how this policy plays out. But our view is the long-term view of the health system of Australia.

QUESTION:
Do you think...

QUESTION:
Surely it will influence your planning for long-term?

DR CHRISTINE BENNETT:
The balance of public private mix is definitely part of the long-term planning for our health system, and, as I say, the community does value public and private services. And, that will be part of the work of the commission.

QUESTION:
Do you think the change will put increased pressure on the public hospital system?

DR CHRISTINE BENNETT:
The public and private hospital systems, in fact the whole health system is under pressure. We have an ageing population; we have increasing chronic disease; we have a number of health challenges, as well as the increasing cost of health care. So, the whole health system is of course under pressure. So, finding the right balance of public and private funding, and public and private service delivery is one of the key elements of the commission's work.

QUESTION:
If I could ask you, just to put your hat on as the head of MBF for a moment - has your health fund done any modelling on the impacts that the surcharge levy rise will...

DR CHRISTINE BENNETT:
I'm here as the chair of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission today, and, very happy to take comments and questions on the commission.

QUESTION:
You say you want to see the policy play out, but if you've got the long-term vision of the health system at mind, then don't you think you should be nipping this in the bud?
I mean, by all estimates it's going to be pretty devastating with estimates of up to 900,000 people leaving the private health system.

DR CHRISTINE BENNETT:
Look, Australians value health insurance, and, you know we, we are not going to be daily commentators on specific policies or changes, we're actually going to watch how the policy plans out, and we're very interested about that long-term vision for health in Australia.

QUESTION:
But you talk about long-term, in fact, you're meant to provide input into the Australian Health Care Agreements that have to be signed by the end of the year - that's not long-term. That's seven months away. Do you think that that, a good set of agreements, does need to address and perhaps adjust the mix that's allowed for public and private?

DR CHRISTINE BENNETT:
Obviously our plan for the long-term needs to be practical and executable, and we'll be needing to have an action plan that starts immediately after our report.
So, we will be looking at where the system is at the point that we deliver our report, and we will be putting in practical steps to action that, toward that long-term design.
So, yes, we're taking a long-term view, but we're looking at actions from now, and in that context where we are as a mixed public private system will be relevant.

QUESTION:
The, the Access report for the AMA also says in broad terms that it's more than likely that the Australian health system will go more towards private provision of services, or to a more private emphasis; do you agree with that, and is the commission working along those lines itself?

DR CHRISTINE BENNETT:
The commission is looking for a system that will build on the strengths of Australia's current health system, which is one of universal access as well as choice.
And obviously there are inequities, and there are pressures on that health system right now. So, building on the choice element, where people can actually invest further in their health care will be an element of, of our work.

QUESTION:
Has the commission discussed equivalency payments for, for private patients being treated in public hospitals? The Minister said that States are concerned abut this, despite her promising that there wouldn't be equivalency payments before the election. Have you discussed the prospect of, of private insurers having to pay, pay, foot the whole bill for public patient - for private patients in the public system?

DR CHRISTINE BENNETT:
At the moment where we are is we've got some principles for the long-term future health system; we've got some key issues that we want to have covered in that system; and also we have, looking at some advice to the, for the health care agreements. But in terms - look, I'm sorry, I missed your question there because of the cockatoos in the background. Could you repeat it? Sorry.

QUESTION:
Will equivalency payments...

DR CHRISTINE BENNETT:
Oh, equivalency payments, right.

QUESTION:
...has the commission examined making private health insurers pay equivalency payments?

DR CHRISTINE BENNETT:
Okay. In our long-term plan we will be looking at the governance and the management and the financing of the health system, and we'll be looking at how that works across public and private sectors. So we will be looking at the roles of both private and public service providers, as well as how governments and individuals fund that system.
So, I can't pre-empt that further yet. We're actually out there consulting with the community, and with the industry right now, starting today and here, here in Canberra.

QUESTION:
What are you hearing from the industry and from other people in the submissions you've received to date, and in the feedback you've received generally, on the issue of private provisioning?

DR CHRISTINE BENNETT:
There's certainly been strong support for a mixed public private system from the community. It's a part of the Australian family's household income. It's something that many Australians choose to have as part of their own investment in their health care. And so, the submissions that we've had to date, I mean we've, we've got several hundred submissions to date, we haven't fully analysed yet, and we are actually going out to the community as well to hear from them direct, as well as from frontline workers.

QUESTION:
Can you describe what form that consultation process will take?

DR CHRISTINE BENNETT:
Well first, we have a submission process active right now, and we'd love to hear from the community as well as industry, industry groups and health professionals. And they can go to our website as well to send in some submissions and thoughts. We're also going to be travelling around Australia, to each capital city, and to four rural and remote areas, where we'll be talking to members of the community, frontline health workers, and also governments and other industry bodies in each State.

QUESTION:
Have you been meeting with State Governments on, on [indistinct] - what are their biggest concerns?

DR CHRISTINE BENNETT:
We've had preliminary discussions with each State Minister and Territory Minister, and we will be meeting with the government agencies in each State during our national consultation.

QUESTION:
Can you outline any of the issues that have been raised in your preliminary discussions with the States so far?

DR CHRISTINE BENNETT:
Obviously the integration of our health care system end to end; how, from prevention, primary care, and acute care, right through to aged care, as well as post-acute care and care in the home; how those services are integrated is a very major issue that all, all parties have really raised with us, particularly as we've got complex and chronic disease and and ageing population needing that spectrum of care.

Page currency, Latest update: 21 May, 2008