‘Broken’ Medicare set for overhaul

A PLAN to overhaul Medicare will be considered by leaders later this week as pressure mounts for the federal government to reform the “broken” health system.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the report by the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce would be handed to the national cabinet when it meets on Friday.

“We need to talk through the hospital system, the way that it works as a whole,” Mr Albanese said. “It’s not surprising that people will always argue for increased funding.”

The states and territories have been lobbying the federal government to increase its share of funding for hospitals.

Despite acknowledging Medicare was in “worst shape it’s been in its 40year history”, Health Minister Mark Butler is reluctant to throw more money at the problem.

“Simply putting more money into the existing structures is not going to deliver the type of care modern Australia needs,” Mr Butler told ABC’s RN. “We don’t just need to add more money to the existing systems, we need to change the existing system.”

The government is considering sharing primary care between health practitioners in a “blended” system.

The need for urgent reform comes after bulk-billing rates plummeted by 7 per cent in the past year, and are continuing to fall as general practice surgeries are left with no choice but to charge higher fees to supplement Medicare rebates.

Other options include increasing the rebate to make seeing a GP more affordable.

In its pre-budget submission, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners called for bulk-billing incentives to triple and increase patient rebates for longer and complex consultations.

Ahead of Friday’s meeting, AMA president Steve Robson indicated he wanted the federal government to increase its share of hospital funding. “We’re suggesting 50-50 commonwealth/ state and territory funding,” he said.