Health was the center of last year’s budget. New vision For Medicare. This year’s health reform is small, but the budget has laid the foundation for a new approach to community -based mental health care.
The topic for reducing the cost of living and expanding the treatment of the community is to discharge people from the hospital and spen down some major initiatives. The budget for the budget for the treatment of the health system and Australians is as follows.
New approach to mental health services
Many Australians are falling into the necessary mental health support, and the biggest problem in areas where needs are high but less service are as follows.
2022 evaluation Among the better approach initiatives that provide Medicare Assistive Mental Health Services, they did not target people with mild illnesses in mild, and they were often inefficient and often not reaching the lowest income.
The government’s new approach seems to be more promising. We will spend $ 360 million in four years to better support people’s needs.
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People with light mental health problems have a new free digital health service that can be used without recommendation from January 1, 2026.
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For those who have serious mental health demands in moderate, the government strengthens HEAD to a health network and changes its brand to provide up to 61 free community mental health services.
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For people with more complex demands, the primary health network (institutions responsible for improving primary care) can work with GPS to establish a mental health nurse and other combined health expert teams to provide free adjustment and support.
This target approach is welcomed, allowing less people to have a crack in the system. But it is important to correctly obtain the design and implementation of this new system. And a given ManpowerIt may be difficult to meet demand, including the lack of psychiatrists.
New emergency treatment clinic
The 21 more emergency treatment clinic will be built at $ 87 million at $ 227 million, which provides relatively simple treatment for urgent problems such as sprains and fever, and intends to make people away from the excessive emergency department.
Exchange in the hospital is important because the demand and cost of the hospital continues to increase. However, the method of designing and operating this new clinic should be known to reduce pressure on hospitals and value money through evaluation of those already constructed.
Support for the elderly to go out of the hospital and go out
Older people can be trapped In the hospital for too long Because they cannot get the necessary support in the community.
The federal government will cooperate with the state to add up to $ 888 million for five years to solve this problem better in various ways, including more hospital volunteer activities and virtual treatment. If it is done well, this not only improves the quality of life of the elderly, but also helps to free the hospital bed.
Frozen medicine
The cost of patient was previously cut, and patient medical costs have already been reduced due to the introduction of 60 days. The budget will freeze the maximum prescription fee for $ 31.60 for non -outlet card holders for one year, $ 7.70 for concessions for five years, and a total of $ 330 million for 5 years.
The freezing of the poor patient is meaningful. About 2 times As the richest people, costs say that they can prevent them from receiving prescription drugs. And the concession card holder $ 12.50 reduction The 2022-23 budget was given to other Australians.
This year’s budget also allocates $ 3.4 billion to add a new drug to the pharmaceutical benefit system, while the pharmacist will receive funding to provide free vaccinations to the elderly caregivers at home.
But one action violates the cost of survival. The $ 1 discount that a pharmacy can offer in prescriptions will gradually drop to zero, which is already limited in the regulated community pharmacy sector.
Other investments
As always, there are dozens of other health items. Some of the more notable things are:
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2027 ~ 28 years of spending on existing initiatives and two new focus areas: More money for $ 1.4 billion for $ 1.4 billion for 13 years, including reduced reservoir and health inequality.
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$ 90 million for three years to bring overseas training intentions to Australia examine
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$ 70 million in four years to make the MRI scan more accessible and cheaper
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It focuses on women’s health, including nearly $ 50 million for women and consultations for women with complicated conditions, spending on women’s sexual and reproductive health services, including midwife counseling organs, and spending on compensation insurance for private midwives supporting housing.
What is missing?
There are expenditures for preventive and treatment, including HIV prevention and treatment measures, new vaccine funding, long screening for people between 45 and 50 years old, and funds for continuing existing program scope. But considering how far Australia is, new investment is limited. It is delayed from behind Australia, another wealthy country that supports funds to keep people healthy Powerful Disease Control Center We need it.
Some areas Barrier There is little interest in including Dental treatment And professional treatment. In addition, there were measures to increase health care personnel and improve rural health, but new funds in this field were limited.
Perhaps the biggest black hole is a public hospital fund. Last year, the federal government agreed to pay a greater stake in accordance with the new five -year contract, but the budget paper on health spending does not consider this.
Nevertheless, federal public hospital spending is expected to increase by $ 2 billion annually. This will increase as the federal and state governments are closer to the end. When the transaction is completed A new approach to national health reform It deals with some of the problems that are not covered in this budget.
