Medicare Locals

Primary Health Networks – an opportunity for the AMA to make some money, expand its influence?

Editor: Melissa Sweeton: October 16, 2014In: Australian Medical Association, general practice, Medicare Locals, primary health care, Primary Health Networks

Now that some details about the 30 Primary Health Networks (PHNs) have been released, it might be timely to see some serious analysis of who are the winners and the losers amid the considera... Read more

Closed for business…

Editor: Melissa Sweeton: June 30, 2014In: Federal Budget 2014-15, health reform, Medicare Locals, National Preventive Health Agency, rural and remote health

(This post was updated on July 3, 4 and 20 – see bottom of post) Today marks the end of an era, for many organisations, their employees and those who have relied upon or been part of t... Read more

Primary health care – still fighting the good fight.

Editor: Michelle Hugheson: June 18, 2014In: Medicare Locals, primary health care

Many thanks to Jason Trethowan, CEO of Barwon Medicare Local for this eye-witness account of the impending move from Medicare Locals to Primary Health Networks. There has been much discussio... Read more

Look what’s missing from the latest round of primary health care reforms

Editor: Melissa Sweeton: June 09, 2014In: health reform, Medicare Locals, primary health care

In the wake of the explosion that was the Federal Budget, plenty of details have gone missing in action and may take time to surface. In the article below, health policy consultant Dr Sharon... Read more

The Health Wrap: A big Budget wrap; a global shared challenge; reframing Indigenous health conversations

Editor: Kellie Bisseton: May 18, 2014In: Federal Budget 2014-15, global health, Indigenous health, National Commission of Audit 2014, public health, racism, The Health Wrap

By Kellie Bisset A big Budget wrap Budget night has come and gone but the impact is still reverberating. There has been much written already about the potential effects of some... Read more

A smart government would strengthen, rather than weaken, primary health care

Editor: Melissa Sweeton: April 27, 2014In: @WePublicHealth, Federal Budget 2014-15, health reform, Medicare Locals, mental health, primary health care

Uncertainty about the future of Medicare Locals must be having a negative impact upon those involved with these organisations as well as those using their services. At least one Medicare Loc... Read more

Health reform coalition warns that predicted budget changes are unhealthy

Editor: Melissa Sweeton: April 24, 2014In: co-payments, Federal Budget 2013-14, health inequalities, health reform, Medicare Locals, primary health care, private health insurance

This statement was issued yesterday by the Australian Health Care Reform Alliance. Fair and equal access is an essential quality of our health system There seems to be a real danger that dec... Read more

Predictions about demise of Medicare Locals are not good news for health or healthcare costs

Editor: Melissa Sweeton: April 22, 2014In: Federal Budget 2014-15, general practice, health reform, Medicare Locals, primary health care, private health insurance

The Federal Budget is looking like bad news for Medicare Locals – and this means bad news for the community’s health and the future of healthcare costs, says health policy analyst Jennifer D... Read more

What does it take to drive regional health reform? Your chance to ask all about it…

Editor: Melissa Sweeton: February 09, 2014In: @WePublicHealth, general practice, health reform, Medicare Locals, primary health care, public health

I am delighted to announce that Carol Bennett, who has only just started her new job as CEO of the Hunter Medicare Local in NSW, after leading the Consumers Health Forum for five years, is i... Read more

For a better health system, we need to move beyond fee-for-service payments

Editor: Melissa Sweeton: February 07, 2014In: general practice, health financing and costs, health reform, Medicare Locals, primary health care

Croakey has lost count of the number of contributors who have written here of the need to reform the fee-for-service model that underpins so much healthcare (for a recent sampling, see this... Read more