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The Latest Breaking News from Elizabeth Deveny

Australian health insurance premiums just had their biggest hike in a decade. Is it time to scrap private health cover?

Government incentives continue to drive people to take out cover merely to avoid tax penalties

The Guardian - AU

‘Not regulated’: launch of ChatGPT Health in Australia causes concern among experts

Calls for clear guardrails and consumer education before wider rollout of OpenAI’s health advice platform

The Guardian - AU

Specialist doctor fees are forcing Australians into ‘impossible choices’. Advocates say urgent change is needed

Patients like Mary feel ‘embarrassed’ when they can’t afford to pay for care, as experts lament a ‘system without guardrails’

The Guardian - AU

From analysis to the latest developments in health,
read the most diverse news in one place.

Struggling to afford specialist doctors’ fees? See if your GP can refer you to one of Australia’s free public hospital clinics

Excellent treatment is available for outpatients – though where you live matters and waitlists can be long

The Guardian - AU

$1,000 for a one-hour appointment: why are fees for Australia’s specialist doctors skyrocketing?

Out-of-pocket costs are increasing faster than inflation and population growth – but increasing Medicare rebates might not be a magic bullet

The Guardian - AU

What are my rights when I need to see a specialist doctor – and what if I can’t afford the fee?

Did you know you can ask your GP for an indefinite referral – so you don’t need a new one every year? Or ask to be sent for free to a public hospital clinic? Here are ways to keep costs down

The Guardian - AU

Medical care becoming unaffordable for more Australians

Almost one in 10 Australians can't afford medical care so many instead skip or delay treatment, with total health spending per person going backwards.

AAP

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Top Bupa staff awarded $14m in bonuses despite insurer admitting to misleading thousands of Australians

Exclusive: Mandatory company disclosures show one bonus amounted to $2.5m, more than double their annual salary

The Guardian - AU

GPs warn not all practices will take up Labor’s promised Medicare bulk-billing changes if rebates still too low

Health minister says modelling ‘very clearly’ shows majority of practices will benefit

The Guardian - AU

Moderna’s mRNA vaccines to be exempt from advisory committee scrutiny under $2bn Morrison-era deal

Exclusive: Critics say exemption ‘deeply concerning’ and risks creating separate assessment systems

The Guardian - AU

Doctor shortage concerns over age health check push

Australia's medical board is considering asking doctors over 70 to have mandatory heath checks over a "disturbing" jump in complaints.

AAP

‘Alarm bells should be going off’ as mental health counselling app expands into Australia, critics say

Exclusive: Consumer advocates say BetterHelp’s wrongdoing overseas means privacy watchdog should investigate whether it has breached local laws

The Guardian - AU

‘What we’re seeing is not telehealth’: alarm over doctors using AI and prescribing without seeing patients

Consumers Health Forum calls on Australian government to address ‘significant safety concerns’ about prescribing without any conversation with patient

The Guardian - AU

Online ads promote ‘simple’ access to super to pay for healthcare, despite strict rules

Peak consumer body and financial services minister warn against private providers encouraging patients to tap into super to fund medical procedures

The Guardian - AU

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news in one place.

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The Guardian - AU

More pharmacies open across Australia despite guild’s dire forecasts on 60-day prescriptions

Lobby group, which is meeting on the Gold Coast with Peter Dutton giving the keynote address, warned in 2023 that hundreds of pharmacies would close

AAP

Competition void leaves specialist patients 'worse off'

Calls to name and shame medical specialists charging excessively high out-of-pocket costs have been revived following a pricing review by economist Allan Fels.

Newcastle Herald

$550 for an MRI: Pensioner questions why there's no Medicare rebate

Pensioner slugged $550 for an MRI that found a liver lesion.

The Guardian - AU

Medicare turns 40: is Australia’s ‘little green card’ keeping up with changing health needs?

Medicare’s universality under threat as chronic disease, mental illness and an aging population increase out-of-pocket costs, experts say

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The Guardian - AU

‘I don’t want treatment’: study shows financial toll of cancer is leading Australians to delay or stop care

Research reveals managing ‘financial toxicity’ for those diagnosed is crucial but there is a lack of resourcing and training to help deal with costs

The Guardian - AU

New data reveals growing gap between specialist fees and Medicare coverage

Patient advocates say more needs to be done to reduce out-of-pocket costs and improve the health literacy of Australians

The New Daily

Australians urged to review health insurance amid premium hikes

Millions of Australians are facing a hike in their health insurance premiums this week as the big players pass through price increases.

The Guardian - AU

What are the budget’s changes to bulk billing and when will they take effect?

What you should know about the Albanese government’s new health incentive before trying to get a bulk-billed GP appointment

The Guardian - AU

Two-for-one prescription changes to save Australian patients more than $1.6bn

Budget measures will slash costs for GP visits and medicines but pharmacists likely to push back

ABC News

Major PBS shake-up will allow Australians to purchase more medicine for less

The cost of hundreds of medicines will be halved for millions of Australians with chronic illness, who will be able to buy 60 days' worth of medicine for the price of a single prescription from September.

The Guardian - AU

Doctors v pharmacists: who benefits from Australia’s turf war over prescriptions?

Queensland pilot program has been made permanent with Victoria and NSW to begin similar trials

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