COAG health report card
June 13, 2014
THE report to the Council Of
Australian Governments (COAG) on
healthcare reform found one in 12
Australians delayed or did not fill a
prescription due to cost.
COAG Reform Council chairman
John Brumby said COAG made
significant improvements over five
years, including that Australians
had among the longest life
expectancies globally, improved
emergency department waiting
times and falling smoking rates.
However, the report found in
2012-13, 8.5% of Australians
delayed or did not fill a prescription
from their GP because of cost, and
in the most disadvantaged areas,
this was 12.4%, twice the rate
found in the least disadvantaged
areas at 6%.
This was, however, a fall from
2010-11’s rate of 9.8% (to 8.5%).
For Indigenous Australians, this
was 34.6% but the report said this
should not be directly compared
with results discussed for all
Australians due to different data
collection methods.
Australian Medical Association
president Associate Professor Brian
Owler said the report highlighted
the dangers of implementing GP
co-payments and increasing copayments
for PBS medications.
“Research shows that an increase
in patient share of medication costs
is significantly associated with a
decrease in adherence.
“The rates for not filling scripts in
the COAG report can be expected
to increase significantly with
increased co-payments for PBS
medicines.”
Brumby said areas of concern
included that almost 63% of
Australian adults were overweight
or obese and one in 25 Australians
suffered from type 2 diabetes.
The report said a quarter of
people with type 2 diabetes
failed to manage their condition
appropriately.
Hospitalisation rates for vaccinepreventable
conditions jumped
16% in the five year period.
To access the report, CLICK HERE.
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