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FUNDING CRISIS IN HEALTH

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]According to the ABC, President of AMA, Tony Bartone, said while the Government gave almost $50 billion to public hospitals last financial year, it had not been enough to turn the tide against chronically underfunded hospitals.

  • Here’s the gist: The AMA believe the April 2nd, 2019-20 Federal Budget is the ideal opportunity for the Commonwealth Government to unveil the details of its long-term vision for the Australian health system. AMA has stressed the need for this Budget, and any election policies, from both the Government and Opposition, to contain significant, long-term funding commitments to primary health care, led by general practice.

AMA’s pre-budget submission has focused on 9 (nine) areas:

  1. General Practice and Primary Care
  2. Public Hospitals
  3. A Future-proofed Medicare
  4. Medical Care for Older Australians
  5. Private Health
  6. Diagnostic Imaging
  7. Pathology
  8. Health and Medical Research
  9. Mental Health

KEY INSIGHTS: According to the ABC, the latest figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare showed approx. 874,000 patients were added to the public hospital elective surgery waiting list in 2017-18, an increase of 70,000 people since 2013. Only 871,000 were removed from the list, showing hospitals are struggling to keep up with demand for surgery.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

PRIVATE HEALTHCARE SIDESTEPS BLAME

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  • Here’s the gist: Industry association, Private Healthcare Australia (PHA), has proposed a number of key reforms it believes will “address the rising costs of healthcare and stem the movement of members to an already overburdened public health system”.
    PHA wants to:

    • cut the number of items listed on the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS);
    • permit health insurers to fund specific out-patient services;
    • increase home-care and community-based treatments – removing people from hospitals; and
    • implement international reference pricing and price disclosures, and assessments of new health products to further cut the prices of medical devices in Australia.

As of June 2018, 54% of Australians had private health insurance. But without further reforms, PHA believes this number could plummet to 30% by 2030/35.

  • Why do this? Like any industry association group, PHA’s primary goal is to represent and defend the interests of its member health insurance companies. Ensuring a viable private health insurance sector in Australia is a core goal for PHA, but so too is ensuring their members don’t face adverse financial impacts due to public policy decisions and reform.

PHA CEO, Rachel David, said “wasteful costs in the health system are not unique to the private sector… Often this is down to health system design and regulations, which are not fit-for-purpose”.

KEY INSIGHT: An agreement, struck between the Commonwealth Government and the medical technology industry in 2017, to cut prices on the Prostheses List was a major contributor to last year’s health insurance premium increase being the lowest in 18 years.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

A CURE FOR CANCER IN A YEAR

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A team of scientists located in Israel have announced they will be the first-ever to complete a cure for cancer within 12 months.

  • Sceptical? Here’s how: The company, Accelerated Evolution Biotechnologies (AEBI), has claimed to have developed a treatment that uses a combination of cancer-targeting peptides and a multi-target toxin to find and kill cancer cells.

“Our cancer cure will be effective from day one, will last a duration of a few weeks and will have no or minimal side-effects at a much lower cost than most other treatments on the market,” AEBI Chairman, Dan Aridor, told the Jerusalem Post.

  • So just how likely is it? According to cancer experts the research AEBI is talking about has only been conducted in a cell lab on mice. Without human trials, the validity of the ‘cure for cancer’ claim is difficult to verify. When asked about the likelihood of AEBI’s claims for a 12 month cure, Medical expert Dr Penny Adams said people shouldn’t “hold their breath”.

KEY INSIGHT: AEBI confirmed the company had only undertaken an exploratory mouse experiment but said they would begin a round of clinical trials that could take a few years – longer than the promised 12 months.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

CHF SAYS HEALTH RECORD ENSHRINES CHOICE

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  • What’s different now? A change in the law enabling people to permanently delete their My Health Record should strengthen public trust in the system. The Australian Digital Health Agency has confirmed that as of 24 January 2019, the permanent delete function has been activated to allow users to wipe their record and its backups at any time.

CEO of the Consumers Health Forum, Leanne Wells, said she believes “this change will reassure those people who were concerned that their decision to opt-out of the MHR would not prevent their record being accessed by an official at some later time”.

The Consumers Health Forum has strongly supported a secure national health records system for some time, stating their belief in the potential benefits it offers to consumers and health providers.

KEY INSIGHT: Approx. 1 million people have already chosen to opt-out of having a MHR created for them by the government. The deadline for people to opt-out of the MHR is January 31.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Queenslanders get a new (Safe)Mate

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  • Here’s what you need to know: Queensland Minister for Ambulance Services, Steven Miles, launched the SafeMate program, which is a new digital system housing a patient’s medical and personal information that they themselves have entered online. Paramedics will be able to use their operational iPads to tap a patient’s SafeMate card or device and access their information right there on the screen.

The Queensland Government believes this new program will eliminate the time it would normally take a paramedic to ask the patient a range of questions in order to obtain their medical history and other pertinent details.

KEY INSIGHT: Medibank has partnered with SafeMate to pilot the system with customers living with chronic illness in Queensland as part of its chronic disease program, CareComplete.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

AN APPLE A DAY KEEPS AFib AWAY?

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]“It’s a momentous achievement for a wearable device that can provide critical data for doctors and peace of mind for you” – those are Apple’s words.

  • So just how useful is it? Well, it seems Janssen Pharmaceuticals (a Johnson & Johnson member company) thinks Apple could be on to something. The company is collaborating with Apple on a research study to investigate whether a new heart health program using an app from Johnson & Johnson in combination with the Apple Watch’s irregular rhythm notifications and ECG app can accelerate the diagnosis and improve health outcomes for approx. 33 million worldwide living with atrial fibrillation (AFib).
  • What’s AFib? Atrial fibrillation is a type of abnormal rhythm of the heart that can lead to stroke and other potentially devastating complications. AFib impacts more than 400,000 Australians.

The multi-year research program will be launched later in 2019. This large-scale program will occur in the U.S. only, and will be designed as a pragmatic randomised controlled research study for individuals aged 65 years or older.

KEY INSIGHT: The study will measure the outcomes of a heart health engagement program with irregular rhythm notifications on Apple Watch; and Assessing the impact of a medication adherence program using an app from Johnson & Johnson.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

WE NEED A NATIONAL PRIMARY HEALTHCARE DATA SET

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]”The Commonwealth Government and individuals invest considerable sums of money every year in primary healthcare—typically GPs and Aboriginal Medical Services”, says AHHA Chief Executive Alison Verhoeven.

“But, to date, no comprehensive ongoing national data set exists that can give insights into why people use and access primary healthcare services, what occurs in individual consultations, and the outcomes of those services.”

The AHHA has released an Issues Brief today, Call for the establishment of a primary health care national minimum data set, by Maddy Thorpe and Sharon Sweeney (Brisbane South Primary Health Network). The work was undertaken as part of the Jeff Cheverton Memorial Scholarship hosted by the Deeble Institute for Health Policy Research at AHHA.

“What is needed is what is called a National Minimum Dataset (NMDS)—that is, a set of data items, using the same definitions, that every General Practice in every state and territory commits to collecting as a minimum.”

“We think the primary healthcare NMDS needs to include standardised data on:

  • Provider demographics—to help workforce planning
  • Patient demographics
  • Patient health status and health-related behaviours
  • Patient encounters—to understand why people are using GPs and other primary healthcare providers
  • Health outcomes—to evaluate how efficient and effective services are.

“Fortuitously a national mechanism has been recently set up to lead national primary healthcare data development—the National Primary Health Care Data Unit at the independent statutory agency, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

“Accordingly, we call on the Australian Government to capitalise on this initiative and back the AIHW to the greatest extent possible to lead the development of a Primary Health Care National Minimum Data Set.

“In so doing the Institute will need to be crystal clear on why the data are being collected and be mindful of the practicalities associated with collection of the data, the need for workforce development and training, the need to address consumer issues, and the need to assure privacy and security of the data.

“There is also a strong need for alignment with other national data sets in health through a national data governance framework”, Ms Verhoeven said.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

DIGITAL HEALTH BOOTCAMPS FIT FOR IDEAS

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]ANDHealth, Australia’s digital health business accelerator, has been awarded $250,000 to deliver intensive Digital Health Market Success Bootcamps for up to 40 Australian digital health companies.

MTPConnect CEO Dr Dan Grant says ANDHealth’s focus is on equipping digital health innovators with the skills needed to turn ideas into commercially successful products.

“Through ANDHealth’s intensive, five-day focused curriculum, representatives from digital health companies will take a deep dive into clinical evidence, regulation, business models, intellectual property, partnering, attracting investment and exploring new international markets,” Dr Grant says.

“These are the real-world skills that underpin successful companies, allowing them to build the capital they need to continue innovating, market their products to the world and employ more Australians.

“Extending ANDHealth’s program through our Project Fund Program recognises its significant successes and lays the ground work for it to continue.”

ANDHealth has been operating for two years, helping cohort digital health companies prepare for investment and international market entry. Since October 2017, ANDHealth+ cohorts have raised over $14 million, undertaken 9 new market launches, generated $2.4 million in revenue, created 63 new jobs, commenced 10 clinical trials and studies, secured 115 new customers, and served 12,857 patients.

Earlier this month, ANDHealth+ alumni DoseMe, which developed a real-time precision dosing software system, was acquired by US-based Tabula Rasa HealthCare for up to US$30 million. Founder Robert McLeay is staying with the company as Chief Scientific Officer and will remain based in Brisbane.

ANDHealth Managing Director Bronwyn Le Grice says the funding will boost the business acumen of digital health companies.

“ANDHealth is the only organisation in Australia focused specifically on supporting digital health companies prepare for investment and international market entry. With this renewed support from MTPConnect, we will be able to expand our impact across a greater number of companies, from earlier in their evolution,” she says.

“The funding will allow us to leverage our existing skills and programs and the capabilities of our members, partners and global networks to continue building a vibrant, evidence-based digital health industry in Australia.”

ANDHealth’s Digital Health White Paper produced with support from MTPConnect, shows how Australia can create a fully-fledged digital health industry.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

WORLD’S FIRST HEART DEVICE FOR BABIES APPROVED

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]An invention of medical device company Abbott, the pea-sized self-expanding device, called the Amplatzer Piccolo Occluder, now offers hope to premature infants and newborns who need corrective treatment, may be non-responsive to medical management or high-risk to undergo corrective surgery.

The device is inserted through a small incision in the leg and guided through vessels to the heart, where it is placed to seal the opening in the heart. The minimally invasive procedure to insert the device means many of the premature babies who are critically ill in the neonatal intensive care unit are able to be weaned from artificial respirator support soon after the procedure.

Born at 27 weeks, twin babies Irie and Judah Felkner of Columbus, Ohio, were both fighting for their lives in the neonatal intensive care unit when an echocardiogram revealed Irie had a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) – a potentially life-threatening opening between two blood vessels leading from the heart – that required immediate treatment.

Irie’s mother, Crissa Felkner said “The doctor thought Abbott’s Amplatzer Piccolo device was the best solution for Irie, and after learning more about the procedure we decided to move forward”.

“You have to live it to fully appreciate what that device did for our daughter. Three days after the procedure, she was making great progress and is now a normal toddler with no limitations. The Abbott device was truly lifesaving for our daughter,” Mrs Felkner said.

Vice President of Abbott’s structural heart business, Michael Dale, said “Piccolo is a critical advancement in the standard of care for the most vulnerable of premature babies who may not be able to undergo surgery to repair their hearts.”

“Our mission is to develop life-changing technology to help people live better lives through improved health. This approval is another important step toward achieving our mission for the patients and physicians we serve,” Mr Dale said.

Amplatzer Piccolo Occulder is not yet available for Australian consumers.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

HEALTH INSURERS SLASH BENEFITS

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Companies including Medibank, NIB, Bupa and other health insurers have been informing their members that the cuts to their benefits are as a result of the Commonwealth Government’s new private health insurance (PHI) reforms set to roll out from 1 April 2019.

News Corp Australia reports Medibank has already emailed their members with mid-range corporate hospital products to warn they will axe benefits for 70 treatments, including some weight loss and fertility treatments.

Representing the PHI industry, Private Healthcare Australia’s CEO, Dr Rachel David, said “One third to one half of health fund members will be receiving letters indicating some change”.

“There will be inclusions as well as exclusions,” Dr David said.

Speaking to News Corp, Australian Medical Association president, Tony Bartone, said “anything which makes private health insurance more expensive or less value for money will continue the exodus from insurance and build up the stress on the public system to the detriment of patients on long-waiting lists”.

Shadow Minister for Health, Catherine King, has promised that Labor, if elected, would establish a Private Health Insurance Inquiry, as well as imposing a 2 percent cap on private health insurance price rises for two years.

With Australians already cancelling or downgrading their health insurance policies, the health policy challenges facing State and Federal governments will likely be front and centre during this year’s election campaigns.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]