Concern over charges to private health funds

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The Federal Government is very concerned about the growing practice of private health insurance being charged by public hospitals for treatments that should be free, according to the Minister for Health, Greg Hunt. Figures released (Dec 2017) by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) show that state governments and hospitals are continuing to actively encourage patients to use their private health insurance to boost hospital revenue. Read more

What to do with GPs’ mine of data

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Dr Edwin Kruys*

General practice has been sitting on a goldmine of digital data, locked away on hard drives in our practices all over the country. And while we were busy looking after our patients, others have quietly started mining it for us. Read more

New cervical cancer screening test

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From 1 December, Australian women will benefit from a new and more effective screening test for cervical cancer — it’s more accurate and requires testing less often. The new human papillomavirus (HPV) test will prevent up to 30 per cent more women from developing cervical cancer because it detects HPV, an early risk indicator for cervical cancer. The current Pap test detects cervical abnormalities after they occur. Read more

Primary care: pitfalls for GPs and practices

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By Dr Bill Coote* , a former federal health minister advisor and former AMA secretary general, breaks down the forces reshaping general practice.

Last week, economist and serial health policy commentator Stephen Duckett told a Senate committee: “Every galah in every pet shop is talking about primary care payment redesign to reduce the emphasis on fee-for-service payment.” Read more