COVID past, present and future

Despite, rather than because, of its federal government, Australia managed to evade the worst of the initial COVID epidemic, but now the disease has slipped from the headlines and political attention, its impact is worse than ever.

We need a national plan to re-open

NSW and Victoria are in the midst of a spiraling epidemic, while other states maintain hard borders to protect themselves. We need a robust national plan all states can sign up to, without hedging or caveats, to protect Australian’s health while returning closer to normal life.

Can we open up with 70% vaccinations?

NSW and the Federal Government are keen to press ahead with reducing restrictions as vaccinations climb, but the much vaunted Doherty Plan may not be the end of the issue.

Fixing aged care

The royal commission on aged care released its final report last month and the next budget offers an opportunity for the government to act and fix a broken system. 

Australia’s bungled vaccine roll-out

While Australia has done relatively well in containing the pandemic, the nation’s vaccine roll-out has lagged well behind the efforts of other countries.

7 lessons for Australia’s health system

In a report released today, the Grattan Institute outlines seven key lessons that can help make the health system more effective, efficient and equitable, and better able to deal with future crises.

Here’s a way to end “health bill shock”

A minority of greedy private doctors are bringing private medicine into disrepute, and reigning in their excesses would help restore public confidence in mixed healthcare.

Cutting health costs through better prosthesis

Health insurance costs are rising and the price of prostheses such as hip replacements are partly to blame. Fortunately there is a way to rein in costs – and give patients more choice and better devices.

How do the parties shape up on health?

The major parties’ manifestos for the 2019 federal election present voters with starkly contrasting health policies. These policies are shaped and constrained by the overall themes presented by the party leaders, but have some unique elements.

Doctors’ fees shouldn’t just be transparent, they should be fair and reasonable

Out-of-pocket costs are a hot-button issue for Australian health consumers. Fees should be transparent, but that’s not good enough. Doctors, and especially specialists, should also be required to set fees that are “fair and reasonable”, rather than exploit the public.