CHF calls for Medicare public education campaign

The Commonwealth should spend $5 million on a series of public information sessions to help patients better understand Medicare, according to a new Federal Budget submission.
 
The Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF) has proposed a new Understanding Medicare – understanding your health campaign, designed to provide health literacy tools and information to consumers.
 
The peak body says this would give consumers the power to help them save money, navigate the health system, and improve their overall health.
 
CHF Chief Executive Dr Elizabeth Deveny said the plan follows feedback from patients who say the current system has left them feeling confused.
 
‘When we talk to Australian health consumers about Medicare, they tell us about how much they like their little green card and the certainty it gives them knowing that if they get sick, they can get the help they need,’ she said.
 
‘But what we are also hearing from consumers is that the health system is so complex that they don’t understand everything that Medicare entitles them to.’
 
Under the plan, the sessions would be facilitated by the peak health consumer body, prioritising peri-urban areas of major capital cities as its key destinations to roll out the sessions.
 
Professor Mark Morgan, Chair of RACGP Expert Committee – Quality Care, welcomed the idea but told newsGP the nature of its messaging will be vital to prevent creating unmeetable expectations.
 
‘Great care needs to be taken to prevent people interpreting public messaging that their Medicare card entitles free allied health, psychology, and expert general practice care,’ he said.
 
‘At best, Medicare is a rebate provided by taxpayers to patients to cover some of the costs of medically necessary care.
 
‘Unfortunately, the rebate has not kept up with the cost of providing services, so gaps have increased.’
 
CHF’s Budget submission also includes a call for $8 million to identify, train, and support 100 new people to represent the consumer voice in decision making bodies relating to research, health policy, service design, and delivery. 

A previous CHF report revealed around 20% of patients find the information given to them from a health professional ‘always or often’ confusing, and they ‘rarely or never’ feel comfortable asking for an explanation if they do not understand.
 
Additionally, the Australian Bureau of Statistic’s Health Literacy Survey revealed just 39% of people find it easy to understand health information well enough to know what to do.
 
Professor Morgan acknowledged there is a need to increase health literacy in Australia, saying patients are often left confused about where to go for unbiased health information.
 
‘Achieving widespread understanding of healthcare funding in Australia is a big ask. If I could only pick a couple of messages to promote widely, my priority would be different,’ he said.
 
‘I would like much wider appreciation of the value of continuity of care with a GP and a GP practice team.
 
‘The second priority would be around where to get sound information about self-care – just the basics about keeping active every day, not smoking, not drinking and eating too much.’
 
The plan comes after Dr Deveny presented to the RACGP Board late last year, with a focus on new opportunities for both organisations to collaborate on achieving the best primary healthcare for consumers and communities.
 
Recent advocacy efforts of both bodies have continued to overlap, with the organisations now working to strengthen the relationship for the betterment of communities.
 
CHF has previously aligned with the RACGP on several key issues facing everyday Australians, including landmark 60-day dispensing reforms which passed through the Parliament last year.
 
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