The
Catholic Weekly
Online
Sydney
2 November 2003
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Christ’s message holds key, says Cardinal Pell
New cardinal-electors
Cardinal is ‘honoured and delighted’
New managing editor for Catholic Weekly
Wiggles help Vinnies
Change to super laws rejected
Service commemorates Night of broken glass
Don’t leave HSC study to the last minute
Poverty forum call
Italians come clean over holy water
‘Don’t change Medicare’
Hope on Smokey Mountain
New dean of education
‘Give generously’ appeal call
Passion added to atmosphere for players
Mother Teresa
Editorial: Be not afraid
Letters: Biblical errors?
Conversation: Donna Mulhearn, human shield and crusader for kids - Back to Iraq
with ‘lots of love, hugs and care’
The freedom of God
Jesus ‘Lord and healer’
Oath of Fidelity
Sandhills and history
The Italian connection
New deal for deaf high school students
New college Campus
US post
115 years in the sun
Rose Bay victory
Life of the ageing priest
Companions on a Redemptorist’s journey to his final vows
‘Richest year of my life’
‘Don’t change Medicare’
By Chris Lindsay
Medicare, private health insurance and an ageing Australia are the top three priority issues for Catholic Health Australia in the coming 12 months, says chief executive officer Francis Sullivan.
“Catholic Health has a responsibility to be a voice for the disadvantaged as well as an advocate for a just, compassionate, excellent, and secure health system,” he said.
“Critical to this is equitable access to quality health services for all.
“Medicare is the cornerstone of universal care with its fundamentals strongly aligned to Catholic social teaching.
“Medicare must be maintained as a universal insurance scheme and not turned into a safety net.
“Safety nets don’t work. They serve only to further marginalise the most vulnerable.
“Likewise we must ensure that we have policies to take care of our ageing population.
“The current government-funded aged care pricing review is examining the immediate and long-term funding needs of the residential aged care industry.”
Mr Sullivan was discussing Catholic Health Australia’s Advocacy Plan 2003-05, a blueprint for what the organisation hopes to achieve over the three-year period in advocating for a just health system.
Catholic Health says the advocacy policy and research plan is faith based, and is built on principles of human dignity, respect, equality, service and preference for the poor.
It articulates ways in which the Catholic health sector can use its leverage to bring about change for the common good.
Madonna McGahan, Catholic Health Australia’s director of policy and research, said a document outlining the details of Advocacy Plan 2003-05 had been distributed to member organisations such as hospitals and aged care homes, the media and politicians and other industry organisations such as Catholic Welfare Australia and the Australian Private Hospital Association.
“The idea is to lay out what we plan to be doing,” she said.
“We spend a lot of time putting submissions to government regarding funding and legislation, and we like to play a strong role in the media so we hope we can also have an influence that way.
The advocacy plan identifies three central roles Catholic Health Australia can embrace – leadership in debate, the formation of critical partnerships and monitoring and responding on policy issues.
It also identifies 12 priority areas for the next three years, including: upholding the dignity of life; upholding health care as a service; representing and advocating for the marginalised; improving care for the dying; enhancing rural and regional human services; and building a better health workforce.
Mr Sullivan said Catholic Health Australia is the largest non-government provider of health and aged care services, representing around 13 per cent of the market and employing 30,000 people.