Call on both sides of politics to commit to action that will Mend Medicare

Received from the Consumer Health Forum today – worth a read

Today, Consumer Health Forum (CHF) and key health groups including Catholic Health Australia, the Mental Health Council of Australia, the Public Health Association of Australia and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation launched a campaign calling on all political parties to outline their plans to address the growing failure of Medicare that is seeing Australia develop a two-tier health system.  This builds on CHF’s out-of-pocket costs campaign earlier this year. 

The groups have called on both sides of politics to commit to action that will Mend Medicare. We want leaders to acknowledge the growing barriers besetting many Australians, particularly the chronically ill, and to act to restore what is meant to be a universal health system.  Despite evidence of ballooning out-of-pocket costs, long delays in treatment and inequities in access to care, both the Government and the Opposition have avoided the issue.   The Greens have today issued a statement supporting the call for a parliamentary inquiry to look at the issue and CHF welcomes their support.

Read the Mend Medicare report, the CHF media release and stay up to date with developments at www.chf.org.au

Consumers can indicate their support for the campaign and raise issues that are important to them on the OurHealth website: http://ourhealth.org.au/have-a-say/have-your-say-now/election-2013