August 20 - Coalition to revive identity card
A COALITION government would revive the controversial Howard-era plan for a national access card to identify every individual receiving government benefits, shadow treasurer Joe Hockey has revealed.
August 19 - Falling short on health policy
The New Zealand manifesto is a reminder that we tend to be rather careless with our language when talking health policy in Australia. Often what we are really discussing is health services, rather than the population's health.
Desperate last minute Labor scare campaign on PBS
Labor are desperately lying at the last minute about the effect of the Coalition’s spending management measures upon the PBS.
Show us the evidence
Mr Abbott slugs every Australian with higher cost for prescription drugs
Tony Abbott’s billion dollar cuts to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme will push up the cost of drugs for pensioners and families.
Dog's breakfast on health
The policies are all over the place, and whoever gets in needs to get it together.
New research shows why more hospital beds aren’t the answer
One of the worst things about election-time is that money talks. We’ve seen this in
the advertising campaign run by the company Primary Health Care, we’ve seen it in the tobacco industry campaign, and now we’re also seeing it with advertisements from the Australian Health Insurance Association warning that “your private health insurance rebate is under threat”. The ad cites the Greens’ opposition to the rebate as ‘bad policy’.
August 18 – FAQ: Australian federal election 2010 explained
August 17 – Yes, he will: Tony Abbott meets Julia Gillard's challenge on debate
TONY Abbott has taken up Julia Gillard's challenge for a debate on the economy.
Mr Abbott has agreed to go head to head with the Prime Minister before Saturday's election
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/yes-he-will-abbott-meets-pms-challenge/story-fn59niix-1225906115309
Labor gets fresh tick for health policies
In a scorecard comparing the policies on offer from Labor, the Coalition and the Greens, the peak body for public hospitals and health services gave the government a tick in 11 out of 17 topics such as governance, integration, access to GPs and mental and dental health.
PM's cyber health bandage for bush
'Tele-medicine' was the talking point of the Labor campaign launch in Brisbane yesterday in a move the party hopes will rescue their election prospects in the bush.
Doctors wary about online house calls
GENERAL practice leader Rob Walters says he has been able to diagnose the skin ailments of far-flung relatives with the help of images sent by Skype or mobile phone - which he says highlights the potential of telemedicine.
August 16 - Labor expecting 'closest vote since 1961'
Labor figures have reacted with caution to today's Newspoll, which gives the ALP a narrow lead over the Coalition as both sides ramp up their pitch to voters in the last week of the election campaign.
Gillard hitches her wagon to health, broadband
Julia Gillard has hitched her election wagon to Australia's developing broadband industry and improving health services. At a low-key Labor Party launch in Brisbane today, the Prime Minister positioned the government as having a clear-cut difference from the Opposition on the future of the internet.
Labor spruiks health, online future
Labor has moved to define itself as the party of the future, drawing on its advantages in broadband and health to convince Australians to give it another three years in government.
Grey wave crashes in
Just as the federal election campaign enters its most critical phase, the powerful seniors lobby has stirred, demanding a dedicated minister of Cabinet rank to deal with what will otherwise be a demographic catastrophe.
Health reform should tackle bulk-billing
A NOTABLE omission from your editorial ("We must not pull the plug on health reform", 14-15/8) was any reference to the costly bulk-billing system; a system abused on both the demand and supply sides for far too long.
What's in the Federal Election for you
Investors, superannuation fund members, families and retirees have all been offered sweeteners in the past few weeks, although in most cases it's tinkering around the edges rather than any meaningful, visionary changes. Your Money takes a look at some of the promises.
August 12 – GP Super Clinic for Caboolture
Parliamentary Secretary for Health Mark Butler and Member for Longman Jon Sullivan today announced the Gillard Labor Government will offer funding to build a new GP Super Clinic for Caboolture to improve access to health services for local families.
At the National Press Club
Health Minister Nicola Roxon and the Opposition Spokesman Peter Dutton spoke about the future of Australia's health system. Both parties made hospitals and GP services a priority but there are some major policy differences.
Roxon vs Dutton health debate paints a stark policy
THERE was no clear winner in today's policy debate between Health Minister Nicola Roxon and her shadow Peter Dutton.
Roxon, Dutton clash over super clinics
Health Minister Nicola Roxon has gone head-to-head with her coalition counterpart, Peter Dutton, but the debate lacked the passion of previous encounters and failed to deliver any new policies.
Australian Health Care Reform Alliance rates election health policies
The Australian Health Care Reform Alliance (AHCRA), a coalition of more than 40 organisations representing consumers and health care providers, today released the statement below rating the major parties’ election health policies
August 11 – Doctors call for indexing
The Australian Medical Association has called on the major parties to commit to indexing payments in line with inflation.
A healthier start for school
A re-elected Gillard Labor Government will introduce new requirements for parents of four year olds who are on an income support payment to ensure that Australian kids get a healthier start for school.
Funding to give consumers a voice in health care
The Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon, today announced funding for the Consumer Health Forum to train consumers to participate as members of governing councils of Local Hospital Networks and Medicare Locals.
16 reasons why the Coalition health policy will hurt Australians
Modernising Australia's Welfare System
A re-elected Gillard Labor Government will put in place new measures to help encourage workforce participation and focus new effort on modernising Australia’s welfare system.
August 10 – No more Medicare cuts, say voters
More than three in four voters want the main parties to guarantee before the election that they will not cut Medicare rebates, amid speculation that a review is likely to propose more cuts.
More GP services for Mackay
The Mackay GP Super Clinic will offer after hours GP services, provide training for future health professionals and help take the pressure off the Mackay Base Hospital.
August 9 – Training More Doctors for Bundaberg and Hervey Bay
The National Health and Hospital Network takes another step forward today with the Gillard Labor Government committing to the construction of teaching and learning centres for Australia’s future doctors at Bundaberg and Hervey Bay Hospitals.
Coalition to look at a single flat tax rate
THE Coalition is considering taxing all but a fraction of Australians at one simple flat rate, exempting from tax the first $25,000 each Australian earns.
In order to make the system simple, special provisions - including the Medicare levy - would be removed, meaning that for most Australians the headline rate of tax would be the rate they were actually charged.
August 7 – $1.9 billion hole in Labor's health plan
Nicola Roxon must immediately clarify the Rudd-Gillard Government’s intentions to phase out private health insurance rebates. Labor has tried twice to legislate to means test the rebates on private health insurance but yesterday the Labor candidate in the electorate of Sturt gave an “iron clad guarantee” that the Gillard Government would not means test the rebates.
Delivering for seniors
August 6 – States can pay for health, says Tony Abbott
ONLY 700 of the 2800 new beds promised in Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's health policy are new and he'll fund just 40 per cent of hospital costs, not the 60 per cent promised by the Gillard Government. The states will have to find between $15 billion and $17.9 billion from their own budgets to make up the hospital funding shortfall.
Coalition pledges cheaper hospital reform
The Coalition would abandon Labor's plans to develop Medicare Locals and primary care structures to create better links between doctors, nurses and allied practitioners, including axing the proposed $446 million co-ordinated care scheme for diabetes patients. It would instead direct about $500 million to lifting Medicare payments for after hours and long consultations by doctors to support complex and chronic care.
August 5 – Abbott's $3bn open all hours health plan
TONY Abbott is promising to give control of hospitals to local boards and offer incentives for GP clinics to expand and stay open longer.
Abbott launches $3.6 billion health plan
The federal coalition has promised public hospitals greater autonomy and more beds - but the plan hinges on the states and territories playing ball.
August 4 - Neither side minds the health gap
MEDICAL gap costs have risen 30 per cent in the past three years and neither side of politics is prepared to specify measures they would take in government to curb the trend.
August 2: Greens launch healthcare plan
A national dental health care scheme, a minister for mental health and an end to junk food television ads for children are part of the Australian Greens' national healthcare plan.
The Greens are on centre stage
ON the basis of the Greens campaign launch yesterday, it should be easy to ignore this odd alliance of often well-intentioned environmental activists and sinister socialists. But on the basis of Newspoll, exclusively reported in The Australian this morning, neither Julia Gillard nor Tony Abbott can -- because the election is now too close to call.
July 31 – Diabetes plan deserves a go: AMA
Opinion: THE Australian Medical Association is using the results of a recent survey to make an incorrect claim. It says that Australian doctors overwhelmingly reject the federal government's diabetes plan.
July 29 – Wheels of progress slow to turn on reform cart
Labor has increased hospital spending during its term, but the Coalition has held out against sweeping reforms. Tony Abbott has described state-federal funding arrangements as a ''dog's breakfast'' and has dismissed the government's reform plan as too bureaucratic. He says he will dump the plan to develop co-ordinated care for diabetes - and e-health funding, to finance his $1.5 billion mental health initiative.
July 28 – ALP's mental health plans under attack
Julia Gillard has sought to counter criticisms of Labor's record on mental health with a promise for a $277 million package for suicide prevention and a commitment to make mental illness a second-term priority if re-elected.
July 27 – Taking action to tackle suicide
A Gillard Labor Government will invest in a comprehensive package of measures to tackle suicide and promote better mental health in our community.
July 26 – Minister outlines health reform at Sunshine Coast
Minister for Rural and Regional Health, Warren Snowdon, hosted a health forum in Maleny to discuss health reform and health issues with local residents and medical experts.
More doctors and nurses for emergency departments
A Gillard Labor Government will invest in a comprehensive package to boost Australia’s emergency department workforce, so that hospitals have the frontline staff to deliver more services and reduce waiting times.
July 20 – Cutting red tape for doctors a further part of health reform
GPs will be able to spend more time with their patients and less time on red tape through changes to Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) prescriptions being announced today.
July 19 – Labor to deliver more hospital beds for Townsville
Townsville Hospital is set to benefit from 15 new rehabilitation beds as a result of the Gillard Government’s health reforms. The Gillard Labor Government will invest up to $9 million in sub-acute beds as part of a major redevelopment of Townsville Hospital being undertaken in partnership with the Queensland Government.
Federal Election: Health Reform and ehealth still on the agenda
With the announcement of the Federal Election on the weekend, the political agenda heats up again on key issues on the state of the nation. The Government’s Health Reform package will be one of those key discussion points for both sides, with ehealth being a fundamental enabler for any reform hotly in the mix.
July 16 – Health Minister to set up diabetes expert group
July 15 – Funding to fight obesity
Communities right round Australia will be walking, cycling, lifting and eating their way to good health thanks to $6 million in grants announced by Health Minister Nicola Roxon. Six not-for-profit organisations will receive a total of $6.32 million to implement six national programs to help fight obesity, and to promote physical activity and healthy eating.
July 3 – $35 million pledged for clinical trial network for type 1 diabetes
A Coalition Government will provide $35 million to fund the establishment of a Clinical Trial Network for Type 1 diabetes in Australia. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) will provide a further $10 million to the Clinical Trial Network. This will give Australians with Type 1 diabetes the opportunity to take part in international clinical trials for new treatments and technologies five to 10 years before they would become available in Australia.
