Abstract
BackgroundThis paper is an edited version of an invited paper submitted to the Australian Health Care Summit on 17–19 August 2003. It comments upon the policies which have dominated recent debate and contrasts their importance with the importance of five issues which have received relatively little attention.MethodsPolicy is usually a response to identified problems and the paper examines the nature and size of the problems which heave led to recent policy initiatives. These are contrasted with the magnitude and potential cost effectiveness policies to address the problems in five areas of comparative neglect.ResultsIt is argued that recent and proposed changes to the financing and delivery of health services in Australia have focused upon issues of relatively minor significance while failing to address adequately major inequities and system deficiencies.ConclusionThere is a need for an independent review of the health system with the terms of reference focusing attention upon large system-wide failures.
Highlights
There is a need for an independent review of the health system with the terms of reference focusing attention upon large system-wide failures
The theme of this paper is that recent and proposed changes to the financing and delivery of health services in Australia have focused upon issues of relatively minor significance while failing to address adequately major inequities and system deficiencies
3:The choice between public and private funding of health services depends upon social values and, in particular, the strength of liberal-libertarian versus solidarity-communitarian values as they apply to the health sector
Summary
Policy is usually a response to identified problems and the paper examines the nature and size of the problems which heave led to recent policy initiatives.
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