Page 568 - Week 04 - Thursday, 29 June 1989
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MEDICARE INCENTIVE PROGRAM
Ministerial Statement and Paper
MR BERRY (Minister for Community Services and Health), by leave: Before the ACT Government took office, the Minister for the Arts and Territories, Clyde Holding, agreed to the new Medicare arrangements. The Medicare agreement contains an incentive package which provides additional Commonwealth funds to the States and territories for services that will have the effect of reducing the length of stay in acute care beds. This means that our hospital resources can be used more effectively and that people will be able to get into hospital more quickly when they need to use these services and receive the care and treatment most appropriate to their illness.
It should also result in economies in the hospital sector of health care. This does not mean that those who need hospital services will be discharged early but those who do not need hospital interventions will be supported in the community and make a place for others who do.
The funds made available to the ACT under the incentive package total $461,000. They are provided in two separate categories - a post-acute and palliative care component, and a day-only procedures component. The post-acute and palliative care program has been developed to enable people to leave hospital earlier than they do now, by providing community based support to assist them at home. In extreme cases some patients become dependent on hospitals and less able to look after themselves because they have stayed in hospital too long. Sometimes people prefer to be at home, and some small health care assistance is all that is required.
The day-only program will allow procedures which currently require an overnight stay or longer to take place on a day-only basis. This will in turn increase the number of people the hospitals can treat and help in reducing waiting lists.
I have just received advice from the Federal Minister for Community Services and Health, Dr Blewett, that the ACT proposals have been approved for funding under the Medicare incentives package. They include a midwifery early discharge program which will operate from both Royal Canberra and Woden Valley hospitals, an expansion to the existing home based palliative care program which operates from Calvary Hospital, and a plan to provide intraocular lens implants to Medicare patients under day surgery.
The three proposals recommended to the Commonwealth for funding were chosen on the basis of their capacity to achieve the desired outcomes shown by similar programs in Australia and overseas and to meet Commonwealth objectives and priorities.
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