Catholic hospitals and pharmacies that are operating near or below break even in their provision of chemotherapy services are under increasing financial pressure following changes to the price paid under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to supply chemotherapy drugs and another impending reduction, Catholic Health Australia has told a Senate Inquiry. The price reductions occur under a policy of "price disclosure" whereby the PBS price is brought into line with the market price once a drug comes off patent. CHA supports price disclosure, but has argued that hospital pharmacies need to be adequately paid for the professional work involved in preparing and supplying chemotherapy drugs.

Click here to read the submission.

In this submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Public Administration's Inquiry into the implementation of the National Health Reform Agreement, Catholic Health Australia explains that beds will close in Catholic hospitals, staff will be cut, emergency department targets won't be met and surgical procedures won't be carried out because of funding cuts to public hospitals. CHA also reiterated its view that a single tier of government funding, most likely from the Commonwealth, would provide a more stable funding system for hospitals in Australia.

Click here to read the submission.

In its submission to the Community Affairs References Committee Senate Inquiry into Australia's domestic response to the World Health Organisation's Commission on Social Determinants of Health report Closing the Gap Within a Generation, Catholic Health Australia called on the Government to implement a model for action on the social determinants of health. The model would include the development of principles by the Social Inclusion Unit, the development of a national strategy to address health inequality, the coordination of data collection by the Productivity Commission and the presentation in Parliament on the indicators for action on the social determinants of health by the Prime Minister, as well as a number of other steps.

Click here to read CHA's submission.

Click here to read CHA's response to Questions on Notice following CEO Martin Laverty's evidence given to the Committee.

Catholic Health Australia has commended the Australian National Preventative Health Agency for its draft research strategy for the next four years, expressing the thanks of Catholic public and private hospitals. Responding the invitation to comment on the National Preventive Health Research Strategy (2012-2016) Consultation Draft, CHA offered its endorsement but argued that the addition of CHA's proposed inclusion of a social determinants framework -- flagged by then-Health Minister Nicola Roxon when enabling legislation for the agency -- should be added to the strategy document.

Click here to read CHA's response to the National Preventive Health Research Strategy (2012-2016) Consultation Draft.

Catholic Health Australia has lodged a submission on the paper named above. CHA is generally supportive of the principles set out in the Framework document, but has issued provisos around issues of fairness for hospitals and the principle of activity-based funding pre-eminence.

Click here to read CHA's submission.

Catholic Health Australia has lodged a submission on the legislation establishing the PCEHR system. CHA's submission supports the concept of a shared health record. It notes, however, that because it will operate on an "opt in" basis, initial uptake by both consumers and providers is likely to be slow. CHA also calls on the governance framework to take greater account of the role and contribution of the non-government sector in the provision of health services.

Click here to read the submission.

On November 10, the Senate jointly referred a number of bills for inquiry and report, including the Mineral Resource Rent Tax Bill. Click here to read Catholic Health Australia's submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Economics.

Catholic Health Australia has responded to Treasurer Wayne Swan's invitation to Australian families, individuals, businesses and community groups to submit ideas and priorities for the 2012-13 Federal Budget. In its submission, CHA outlines a number of priorities for aged care as part of the wider efforts to reform the sector.

Click here to read the submission.