The states are ramping up pressure for billions of dollars more in public hospital funding as the federal Coalition prepares to unveil itsand Labor announces a plan to ease pressure on emergency departments.
“Scott Morrison has shown time and time again that he walks away from his responsibilities – the least he could do is give Victorians a fair deal on health,” Foley said.States and territories, backed by the Australian Medical Association, want the government to abolish a 6.5 per cent growth cap on hospital funding and lift its contribution from 45 to 50 per cent of the cost.
Federal Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese is yet to unveil any plan to reform hospital funding but will on Wednesday announce a $135 million plan to trial bulk-billed Medicare urgent-care clinics at 50 sites across Australia.“Labor’s Medicare urgent-care clinics will mean more families will get top-quality care from a nurse or a doctor without having to wait in a hospital emergency department,” Albanese said. “These clinics are a key part of Labor’s plan to strengthen Medicare.
A spokesperson for Health Minister Greg Hunt said funding to state public hospitals had doubled under the Coalition, compared with an increase of just 44 per cent by the states themselves. This would allow the Commonwealth to claw back hospital funding provided in 2022-23 when it is calculated for the following year by the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority, former Health Department secretary Stephen Duckett said.Victoria is most at risk of breaching the cap due to a high number of elective surgery cancellations during its extended COVID-19 lockdowns.
ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said state and territory health ministers had written to Hunt several times asking him to work with them on issues they considered Commonwealth responsibilities or where they could act jointly.
Albo I would not push to hard on Health as the States use mining royalties to fund health and when Adam becomes your deputy PM in a coalition with the Greens all mining will be shut down, no more royalties or taxes or jobs, just a destroyed economy and Climate Change worshipping
NeverTrustCostello because they are being watered and fed by ScottMorrisonMP at a private function. Why is it a 'private function' and why can't voters be there ornasknthe real questions? WhoIsScottMorrison 👉 GutlessScomo 👈