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Chronic Health Changes

Discussion in 'Australia' started by toughspiders, Mar 31, 2016.

  1. trevor

    trevor Active Member

    Perhaps it time for allied health to combine.
    A combined association would at least have some sort of voice.
    What about say the "Allied Health Industry Association" as an umbrella group covering everyone from Dental to Physio?
     
  2. APodC

    APodC Active Member

    See http://www.ahpa.com.au/ and http://www.nphcp.com.au/

    Re EPC, That's not accurate.

    The original EPC program was proposed as part of the MedicarePlus package under the Howard Government with Tony Abbott as Health Minister and if my memory serves me right, I believe Terry Barnes was the senior adviser at the time. Independent senators negotiated concerns they had with some aspects of the package, safety nets in particular. Once these concerns were resolved, the legislation was passed with the support of independents.

    See http://www.hpm.org/au/a3/5.pdf
     
  3. trevor

    trevor Active Member

    Yes, you are correct Meg Lees was no longer with the democrats. At the time. Brian Harridine from Tasmania was involved but Meg Lees was the negotiator who oiled the wheels. South Australia and Tasmania did better than the other states, I think.

    In March 2003, the Australian Government succeeeded in gaining agreement from 4 independent senators (nonaligned members of the upper house) for changes to the structure of Medicare, the tax-based health insurance system. The main changes introduced by the legislation are: a reduction in the annual threshold level at which concession card holders or families become elegible for safety net benefits
    $7.50 incentive for GPs to bulk-bill* concession card holders and children under 16 in non-metropolitan areas and Tasmania.
    the introduction of a new Medicare Benefit Scheme (MBS) item for the services of allied health professionals delivered "for and on behalf of" GPs under a multidisciplinary care plan. It will cover up to 5 consultations with an allied health professional.
    up to 3 dental consultations for dental conditions associated with chronic and complex conditions (eg heart disease, diabetes)
    an additional 12 medical school places at James Cook University, Townsville
    coordinated roll-out of the HealthConnect integrated medical records system in Tasmania and South Australia *bulk billing describes a system where the patient pays no up-front fees and the doctor accepts the Medicare rebate as his/her full fee.
     
  4. trevor

    trevor Active Member

    When the Dental EPC program ( mentioned above) stopped, a large number of dental practices closed their doors, as their business model had evolved into EPC patient care clinics.
    There is a lesson here folks.
     
  5. Pod66

    Pod66 Member

    There is a letter to patients penned by the national council about the Epc .... Seems politically directed ...Check it out .
     
  6. surfboy

    surfboy Active Member

    Great information boys, thanks.

    Not surprising that a number of dental practices shut their doors when they lost access to the Medicare MBS item numbers.

    The problem we face in our profession as Podiatrists, is that we deal primarily with an older patient demographic whom simply would not have the money to spend on Podiatry without the Medicare CDM program.

    Generally, people of all ages attend dentists and physiotherapists. I am not saying this is not the case for Podiatry, but overall our patient base is older people who cannot cut their own toenails, or diabetics.

    I agree, we should stand collectively and fight this. The time is overdue for an umbrella association to represent ALL of allied health in Australia. Individually I feel we have very limited scope, as a collective our voice would be heard much more powerfully.

    There are a number of very wealthy Podiatry practices that could be absolutely decimated by these changes if they proceed.
     
  7. surfboy

    surfboy Active Member

    Could someone please post the letter here? I would like to display it to patients in my practices. Thanks.
     
  8. surfboy

    surfboy Active Member

    Please could someone post the mentioned letter above? I wish to display it in my practices.. the more people that see the information the better !
     
  9. dyfoot

    dyfoot Active Member

    Ditto
     
  10. surfboy

    surfboy Active Member

    Please post the letter APODC. It's time to organise !!!
     
  11. Tim Foran

    Tim Foran Active Member

  12. surfboy

    surfboy Active Member

    Looks like allied health payment mechanisms will not be affected at this stage by the health care home changes folks. Hopefully this means we will retain our fee for service Medicare item number 10962.

    How does this affect my access to allied health services?

    Payment amounts and mechanisms for allied health remain unchanged under the Health Care Home model, meaning patients will still have access to allied health chronic disease management items. Health Care Home guidelines will however encourage care coordinators to work more closely with allied health providers to share information and to deliver services designed around individual patients’ needs.

    http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/health-care-homes-faq#three
     
  13. APodC

    APodC Active Member

    We successfully argued that without a clear understanding of how payment models would work and assurance that funding to access podiatry services would not be diverted, we couldn't support the allied health items being included in the health care home model. We were pleased the minister retained the current model. We are also pleased that enrollment essentially replaces the need for a GPMP.

    That said, it's been made very clear by government that the MBS review will look at the allied health items some time next year. We will be involved in that review.
     
  14. footsteps2

    footsteps2 Active Member

    Most Health Care Homes/Residential Homes are now staffed by Allied Health Firms that supply Podiatrists at a very cheap rate, pay them a small wage and make loads themselves, but costs the retirement home a lot less. Gone are the days of earning a good rate per patient treated at residential homes.
     
  15. Pod66

    Pod66 Member

    One should ask.......enrolling for what by who........and how is this advantageous?
     
  16. surfboy

    surfboy Active Member

    Sorry, but you've completely missed the point. Health care homes does not refer to residential care facilities.
     
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