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Speak Out June 2015 7
Medicare Review –
Time to look at
the foundations of
our health system
The Australian Government has embarked
on a review of Medicare with three areas of focus:
1. A Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Review
2. A Primary Health Care Advisory Group
3. A review of Medicare compliance rules and
benchmarks.
The Government has committed to drawing on a broad
range of expertise to inform the process – including
Allied Health. Recommendations for actions/changes
in each reform area are expected in late 2015.
While no ‘savings’ target has been released by the
Government, it is expected that the Review will identify
areas of the MBS that can significantly reduce cost and
improve sustainability of the system. It is anticipated that
the Chronic Disease Management items will be closely
scrutinised.
Speech Pathology Australia is preparing a formal
submission to the Review process. We are seeking advice
from members including:
• What does and does not work about the current MBS
funding structure for speech pathology services?
• How can the current MBS funding system be
improved?
• Are there particular conditions that should attract
MBS items for speech pathology? Why?
• Are there particular speech pathology treatments/
interventions that have demonstrated a strong level
of evidence for effectiveness that should be funded?
It is important that our submission is informed by the
views of members working in private practice across
Australia and by the best available evidence of clinical
effectiveness. Please send your thoughts to Ronelle
Hutchinson, Manager Policy and Advocacy at
join the
FB Private Practice group discussions or give Ronelle
a call on 1300 368 835 by 30 June.
Ronelle Hutchinson
Manager, Policy and Advocacy
Call for expressions of interest
to join a working party to update
Speech Pathology Australia’s
Clinical Guideline and Position
Statement for Working in a
Culturally and Linguistically
Diverse Society
Australia’s population continues to become
increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse.
Therefore, Australian speech pathologists need to be
informed by clinical guidelines containing the most
up-to-date evidence and recommendations for
practice with this population.
If you are interested or currently involved in practice
with culturally and linguistically diverse populations
and feel you could make a valuable contribution to
Speech Pathology Australia’s position statement and
clinical guideline, I invite you to join the working party
for the development of these documents.
I am seeking clinicians, researchers and professionals
(including speech pathologists, educators, interpreters
and bi-cultural support workers) with experience in
supporting culturally and linguistically diverse adult
and paediatric populations in a broad range of settings
including hospitals, community health, private practice,
schools and educational settings.
If you are interested in collaborating on this
project, please send your CV along with a brief
statement outlining your experience in this area
and how you feel you could contribute to the
development of these documents (maximum
500 words) to by no later
than 5pm on Monday 13 July 2015 .
Sarah Verdon
Working in a CALD Society Project Officer