Verhoeven calls for collaboration on funding

As Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull begins to reframe the government's approach to economic management, discussions on how Australia funds its health system must remain front and centre, the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association has said.

 AHHA's chief executive, Alison Verhoeven, said health providers and consumers had made it clear to political leaders they expect government to maintain a high-quality, sustainable public health system that is affordable and accessible for all Australians, and leaders must respond to these concerns.

Verhoeven said Australia could not have a productive economy and well-functioning society without the health of its citizens as a central concern.

“[This] requires the Commonwealth to work as a steward with the states and territories to ensure that our hospitals and our primary-care system is funded,” she said. “They must do this in a collaborative manner. We have not seen enough true collaboration, and we really must see that now, for the good of the country.”

AHHA hosted a series of discussions on healthcare funding in Brisbane over the past two days. There was a focus on public hospital financing and on bundled care options for primary health.
Verhoeven said: “We found more commonality between our primary health and hospital members than difference.

“What we're all focused on is greater co-ordination of care across the system, and how that might be supported by changes in the funding mechanisms.”

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