MTAA Joins Calls for Private Health System Authority
The Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA) today joined other leading health sector stakeholders at the Australian Medical Association’s (AMA) Private Health Summit in Parliament House, Canberra.
Speaking on the need to create an environment for reform and change, MTAA CEO, Ian Burgess, echoed the need for a new Private Health System Authority that addresses the challenges facing our private health system to ensure the best interests of patients are at the heart of policy and decision making.
“We share the view that major changes are needed to make private health more affordable – in particular to address the ageing of consumers and the drop off of younger policy holders,” Mr Burgess said.
“MTAA has put forward our ‘7 Point Plan’ for strengthening Australia’s health system that will see genuine reform to improve insurer operating efficiency, reduce admissions, improve models of care, and increase the focus of evidence-based medicines.
“Ensuring patients are at the centre of the charter for a new authority will be key to its long-term success in helping create a more affordable and innovative private health system. So too will having a consultative function to work with the key health stakeholders like doctors, hospitals, MedTech makers and consumers to address the current and future challenges and opportunities facing Australia’s private health system.
“I’m looking forward to continuing an ongoing dialogue with AMA and our other health partners to develop the framework for reform to put to government that will drive down the costs of private health insurance for everyday Australians.”
MTAA believes at the heart of any reforms to be considered needs to be the core principle of patient-centric ‘value-based healthcare’. More value needs to be placed on the longer-term benefits of items such as devices, to both the health system but also the patient.
