Medicare has failed and needs a complete overhaul as it no longer provides for Australians’ health needs, says a damning new report, according to The New Daily.
Forty years after the universal healthcare system was established, Medicare has not kept pace with changes in chronic disease and mental health.
For example, despite patients needing more complex care, appointments have been “stuck” at 15 minutes for the past two decades.
The report by the Grattan Institute calls on the Albanese government to fix the system, warning that “Medicare is in the grip of a mid-life crisis”.
It says bluntly: “Medicare no longer works, for patients or GPs.”
“The way GPs work and get paid should be overhauled so Australia can turn the tide of chronic disease, keep more people out of hospital, and ensure poorer Australians get the care they need when they need it.”
The report released said the work of GPs had become much more complex, as the population has grown older.
Rates of mental ill-health and chronic disease have climbed.
“But the way we structure and fund general practice hasn’t kept up,” it states.
“GPs are struggling to meet their patients’ needs, and they lack the support of a broader team of health professionals to do so.”
The report said other countries have reformed general practice, and their rates of avoidable hospital visits for chronic disease are falling.
“But Australia is spending more on hospitals while neglecting general practice: the best place to tackle chronic disease.
FULL STORY
Grattan Institute calls for overhaul of ‘failed’ Medicare system (The New Daily)
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