What do the draft recommendations of the competition policy review mean for health policy and services? THE DRAFT report of the federal government’s competition policy review, released this week for public consultation, is a massive opus, intimidating to all but insiders and the cognoscenti. In its chapter on human services, the review panel, headed by...

This analysis looks at the health and related provisions in the Australian Government’s 2014-15 Budget. This is done in the light of current and past strategies, policies, programs and funding, and is supported, where possible, by data drawn from Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, reports and published papers. This year’s analysis has been delayed, due...

Indigenous Australians will be hit hard by the 2014‐15 Budget, argues this paper. Abstract This analysis looks at the Indigenous provisions in the 2014-15 federal Budget. This is done in the light of current and past strategies, policies, programs and funding, and is supported, where this is possible, by data and information drawn from government...

MIDWAY through the election campaign, the focus has yet to swing to health and healthcare. According to the ABC’s policy comparison tool, Vote Compass, health is rating well behind the economy, which is by far the most important election issue for voters. Given the challenges of budget sustainability, workforce productivity and the ageing population –...

In a tough political and budget year with several major initiatives to be funded - most notably the Gonski education reforms and the National Disability Insurance Scheme, now known as DisabilityCare Australia - the health and ageing section of the 2013-14 Budget has fared reasonably well. Overall the Budget contained $43 billion in savings over...