VICDOC Summer 2023 - Magazine - Page 71
Whatever the path forward may be,
it must involve the government,
clinicians and consumers working
together in the sector.
health associations and medical colleges
all gathered at the AMA proves there is
widespread hunger for meaningful change.
This notion was further cemented
throughout the course of the workshop,
which involved some robust but insightful
conversations on various aspects of the
private health system.
It was clear the whole room was
committed to achieving reform to improve
private health for doctors and patients alike.
How exactly will that reform be achieved?
Well, there are still differing opinions about
that. While reform is no doubt urgent, we
know these issues aren’t going to be fixed
overnight. Sector-wide collaboration is the
only way to spark change — and that is why
we held this workshop.
Whatever the path forward may be,
it must involve the government,
clinicians and consumers working
together in the sector.
The AMA will continue calling for an
independent Private Health System
Authority to streamline regulation and
create a platform for reform. We believe
a body like this would be the best vehicle
for reform, which must be underpinned
by quality data and research.
I am pleased to say this concept
received some very welcome support at
the workshop, and I am confident we can
continue making headway in this area.
While there remains some disagreement
on models of reform, there seemed to
be general agreement at the workshop
there needs to be a single mechanism — a
capability within government — to create
change, cohesion and foster reform.
We have heard about the many stresses
in the system and the number of hospitals
closing. This is on top of the looming
cost impact of insurance premiums
for consumers.
The urgency for change was made clear
at the workshop, because the current
piecemeal and fragmented approach to
reform is inefficient and not addressing
the many challenges faced by the system.
This was highlighted in the AMA’s recent
research report on out-of-hospital
models of care, which are not supported
by the current complex regulations and
legislation. This causes inconsistencies
in product design, models of care and
financial arrangements.
The workshop enabled us to continue
these discussions, with a constructive
exchange of ideas that revealed a shared
passion for innovation and improvement.
Stakeholders discussed the many
barriers to reform — complex regulation, a
lack of quality data and research and silos.
The AMA Private Health System Reform
workshop served as a pivotal platform
for sector leaders to discuss their shared
commitment to address the pressing
issues facing Australia’s private health
system. The AMA will continue to harness
this collective commitment to drive
positive change and shape the future
of private healthcare in Australia.
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