Health care needs more money

Sydney
4 November 2001

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Health care needs more money

By Kathleen Carmody

The health care system will break open unless there is a significant investment of public money, according to Catholic Health Australia.

Even though the Coalition and Opposition have each pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to health care, it was not enough says Catholic Health Australia’s CEO, Francis Sullivan. An investment of $2.6 billion was needed over the next term of government.

“If the investment is not made, what are strains in the system will break open,” he said. “There will be increasing disgruntlement over access to essential care – and, particularly, people who suffer from chronic conditions will find a lot of what they need falls through the gap.”

Mr Sullivan said the most important priority was bolstering the entitlements system and putting strategies in place for disadvantaged groups “such as low income elderly on public hospital waiting lists, people with chronic conditions needing community support and people with mental illness, particularly those who are homeless and have other complicating social conditions”.

Catholic Health has suggested a Medicare Grey Card to give uninsured, low-income earners over the age of 70 access to private hospital care to avoid public hospital waiting lists.

Mr Sullivan praised the Labor Party’s policy for its imagination and innovation, but said it was too moderate in its spending.

The Coalition policy was lopsided in favour of private health and disregarded the public hospital funding crisis.

The real test would come after the election, he said.

“Post election the real rub is for the new government to fund health and aged care as a priority and, in the first budget process, to not sacrifice innovation in health care simply to maintain a tiny surplus,” he said.

For health to remain a priority, it may be appropriate to contemplate spending cuts in other portfolios.

“At the end of the day we want beds. We don’t want bullets,” Mr Sullivan said.