Medicare benefits schedule reform
Submission to the Medicare Benefits Schedule Review Taskforce Consultation
Chronic diseases affect more than 1 in every two Australians with nearly half of avoidable hospitalisations attributable to chronic disease. These conditions are complex, lifelong and often require care by multiple providers across the healthcare sector. The economic and social burden of chronic disease is set to increase, in line with Australia’s ageing population and high rates of obesity and inactivity.
While Australia’s health system is among the world’s best, it is complex and often disconnected; with outdated models of care making it hard to navigate, for both patient and providers. We urgently need to work out what an optimal, sustainable 21st century healthcare system looks like and the MBS has a critical role to play in the care Australians receive. We make the following submission in response to the MBS Review Consultation paper and encourage a re-think of how the MBS operates for the benefit of all Australians, today and in the future. Submitted November 2015.