In a last-minute budget announcement, the Public Health Association of Australia is urging the government to resist stealth tobacco industry lobbying.
The government needs to remain strong against intense tobacco industry lobbying, the Public Health Association of Australia has warned ahead of tomorrow’s federal budget.
Last week, a public hearing into the illegal tobacco crisis allowed tobacco giant Philip Morris to give evidence in secret.
PHAA CEO Adjunct Professor Terry Slevin said that at a time when 66 Australians die every day from tobacco-related disease, the tobacco industry appeared before the Senate inquiry hearing arguing for cheaper cigarettes and a tax cut.
“The conversation happened behind closed doors, and without being included on the hearing agenda. This is typical of the stealth tactics the tobacco industry uses when lobbying to protect its profits at the expense of public health.
“It’s important for governments to recognise that arguments for a tax cut are part of an orchestrated campaign being driven by the tobacco industry and associated organisations with a focus on self-interest and profits, not concern for public health and safety,” he said.
With the federal Budget being released tomorrow, the PHAA said a reduction in the tobacco excise would represent a “perverse and unacceptable giveaway to an industry whose products are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Australians, as well as billions of dollars in healthcare costs and lost productivity”.
“The only real winner from a tobacco tax cut would be the tobacco industry itself,” it said.
The PHAA estimates British American Tobacco would receive an estimated windfall of more than $1 billion, Imperial Brands more than $600 million, and Philip Morris more than $500 million annually.
“Cutting tobacco tax would not stop the illicit tobacco trade. Even under the tobacco industry’s proposed tax cut, the price difference between legal and illicit tobacco would remain large enough to continue driving organised criminal activity and illegal supply.
“Regardless of whether they are illicit or legal, cigarettes kill. We need governments to focus on enforcement, including tighter regulation of the supply chain and tobacco retailers.”
Read the PHAA full pre-budget submission
60k Support at Home packages needed: CHA
The PHAA was not the only organisation sending urgent budget requests before tomorrow night.
Catholic Health Australia (CHA) has called for more funding into Support at Home packages, warning that the lack of packages is sending too many older Australians into higher-cost hospital and residential care settings.
“The government’s commitment to Support at Home is being undermined by insufficient funding for the packages older Australians desperately need,” said Alex Lynch, director of aged care at CHA.
“Many of our parents, grandparents and neighbours simply want to age at home with dignity. They must be empowered to do so.”
CHA estimated funding an extra 25,000 to 60,000 fully funded Support at Home packages would need an investment of $1 billion to $2.4 billion per year. This is based on an average package cost of $40,000 per person per year.
It also called for increased care management funding, extra funding for assessments to address demand surges, and a deferral of price caps in favour of more effective consumer protections to ensure the Support at Home system can deliver effective, timely care.
“Our suggestions, on behalf of a Catholic providers, offer a pragmatic, realistic path towards addressing the complex demand challenge,” said Mr Lynch.
Read the CHA full pre-budget submission
Hospital in the Home reforms should be fast-tracked: CHA and Bupa
CHA has joined forces with private health insurer Bupa to call for expanded hospital in the home services to be covered under Medicare.
CHA’s director of health policy Dr Katharine Bassett said:
“We know our patients want more hospital in the home care. It allows them to stay in the comfort of their own homes and delivers better outcomes, while also taking pressure off the strained hospital system, which is vital as our population ages.
“Unfortunately, Australia is lagging well behind comparable nations such as the UK and Canada when it comes to offering care at home. The good news is the solutions are clear – the government must fix funding arrangements to allow hospital in the home care to thrive.”
The two healthcare organisations have worked together to understand what would make these reforms practical, affordable and sustainable for patients, doctors and hospitals.
Their five-point reform plan would make hospital in the home more accessible and includes, among other actions, creating new Medicare telehealth items that allow specialists to support admitted hospital in the home patients while remaining responsible for their ongoing hospital care.
Bupa managing director Kate Williams said it was time to move forward and properly fund hospital in the home services.
“These services are already delivering safe, high-quality outcomes and they should be supported with a clear framework to grow. Strong clinical oversight should remain central to any expansion to give patients real choice without compromising safety or quality.”
Related
Even more medical student places: AMA Queensland
The recently divorced AMA Queensland is calling for funding to be directed to the medical workforce at the student level.
“We need more Commonwealth Supported Places for medical students, especially to bolster the future workforce in our regional, rural and remote communities,” president Dr Nick Yim said.
Dr Yim also contended that doubling the Medicare rebates for GP consultation items would be cheaper than funding more urgent care clinics.
Minimum payout ratio for private health insurers: APHA
Australian Private Hospitals Association CEO Brett Heffernan alleges that insurers are “reneging on their duty of care” to maximise profits, at the expense of patients and the private hospital system.
Lifting the minimum private health insurer payout ratio from the current 84 cents to the dollar to the pre-covid norm of 90 cents to the dollar would “materially remediate private hospital viability challenges”, the association said.
Doing so, however, would entail establishing an explicit legislative instrument for minimum payout rules under the Private Health Insurance Act.
It also requested federal funding of $15 million for a one-year pilot partnership between urgent care clinics and private hospitals.
Read the APHA’s full pre-budget submission
Make patients not liable for bills if financial consent is inadequate: PHA
Private Healthcare Australia, the peak body representing for-profit health insurers, wants to see an end to “surprise” medical bills.
“Consumers should be able to confidently start a course of treatment knowing how much the total cost will be, and they should not be receiving information about fees, such as anaesthetists’ fees, on the day of a procedure,” PHA wrote.
“This sort of ‘drip pricing’ needs to be addressed in our health system.
“While many doctors and hospitals provide no-gap (or known-gap) services, some consumers experience very high out-of-pocket costs, and some patients are not made aware of these costs in advance.”
It did not provide pricing for this measure.
Read the PHA’s full pre-budget submission
Define ‘reasonable access’ to primary care: NRHA
The National Rural Health Alliance’s big ask this budget season is for the relatively modest sum of $313,500.
It plans to use the funding, if granted, to facilitate its research in defining the optimal levels of access to primary care in rural and remote Australia.
Despite all the talk about resourcing in the bush, the NHRA points out that there is no consistent or meaningful benchmark for the range and accessibility of healthcare outside metropolitan cities.
Read the NRHA’s full pre-budget submission
Revise the way the PBS values new medicines: Medicines Australia
The peak body for pharmaceutical manufacturers wants to see a revised guideline for the comparator selection and discount rate used by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee.
According to Medicines Australia, the net expenditure on medicines and supply chain services in the PBS has declined relative to the health budget.
The upshot has been that it takes longer for drugs deemed safe and effective by the TGA to be listed on the PBS.
“A healthy innovative medicines sector underpins the delivery of the medicines that Australians need, and brings highly skilled jobs, strengthens national security and supply chains, investment in R&D and commercial partnerships and clinical trials,” Medicines Australia said.
