The number of older Australians stuck in hospital beds they don't medically need has jumped more than 50 per cent, with some waiting up to 100 days for an aged care or disability place that isn't there. A new 196-page health reform agreement was meant to fix exactly this.
Today we break down what that agreement actually delivers, the cut to the over-65 private health rebate, why specialist out-of-pocket costs have nearly tripled since 2009, and where the system passes and fails the "Good Samaritan" test.
Host: Dr Katharine Bassett, Director of Health Policy at Catholic Health Australia
Guest: Professor Stephen Duckett
Chapters:
(00:00) Intro
(01:04) Stranded patients and the beds they can't leave
(07:11) The reform agreement built to change nothing
(09:00) Why health data stays locked and reform stalls
(14:01) The over-65 rebate cut and the panic around it
(16:19) The quiet downgrade from gold to silver cover
(20:45) Out-of-pocket costs have nearly tripled since 2009
(24:12) Using the Constitution to rein in specialist fees
(27:35) The Good Samaritan test for our health system
(32:40) What still gives him hope for the next decade
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Health Matters is an Amplieo Original podcast produced by Amplieo Media Group and presented by Catholic Health Australia.
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