[LINK] Building the Australian National Health Network

[Marghanita da Cruz]

Bernard Robertson-Dunn wrote:
<snip>
> Question: why should a health authority be paid for the number of sick 
> people they treat, rather than the number of people (healthy and sick) 
> they support? They have no incentive to keep people healthy. In fact 
> they are incented to let people get sick.
> 

While it is called a Health network, what we are really
talking about is acute medical care.

If you want your records to be private, then I would guess
you can go to the doctor/hospital pay the full amount and
not expect a rebate from Medicare.

As a community  we need to monitor the cost of medical
services and the economic/social costs of poor health and
put in programs to improve the health of the community
generally - through better nutrition, exercise, OH&S,
reducing car accidents, alcohol and smoking related health
issues  etc and better hospital care outcomes.

One battleground is midwife managed homebirths  -
NZ has medicare/hospital supported Homebirths. Whereas
homebirths in Australia are not permitted under medicare or
supported by the hospital/medical people.

Interesting public information campaign from the whitehouse:

> 41 -- that?s the number of leading economists -- including three Nobel Prize winners -- who sent a letter to President Obama and Congress yesterday urging the swift passage of comprehensive health insurance reform to curb skyrocketing health care costs. [Source] 41 --  is also the percentage of adults under the age of 65 who accumulated medical debt, had difficulty paying medical bills, or struggled with both during a recent one year period. [Source]
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/health-care-meeting/by-the-numbers/41>

> 625 ? That?s the number of people who lost their health insurance EVERY HOUR in 2009
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/health-care-meeting/by-the-numbers/625>

> 8 -- The number of people every minute who are denied coverage, charged a higher rate, or otherwise discriminated against because of a pre-existing condition.
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/health-care-meeting/by-the-numbers/8>


Marghanita
-- 
Marghanita da Cruz
http://ramin.com.au
Tel: 0414-869202