CHA backs AMA push for greater access to out-of-hospital care

Catholic Health Australia supports the Australian Medical Association’s call for greater access to out-of-hospital care for patients, outlined in its position paper released today.

“We have been calling for reform to out-of-hospital care for the past year and are pleased to see the sector unite around this issue,” said Catholic Health Australia CEO Jason Kara.

“Treatments like chemotherapy, dialysis, wound care, palliative care and post-surgical rehab can be conducted safely at home with better outcomes – but millions of patients are missing out.

“We urgently need reforms that allow patients and their doctors to choose where they receive their care, rather than having that choice dictated by insurers.”

Polling commissioned by CHA earlier this year showed that 82 per cent of Australian’s would consider hospital in the home if it was delivered by a private hospital.

CHA is calling for default benefits – the minimum insurers must pay for a treatment – to apply to out-of-hospital care. Currently these benefits only apply to care in a private hospital setting, making the hospital in the home model of care unviable.

“Care at home can lead to lower readmission rates, shorter stays and increased patient satisfaction, as well as reduce pressure on the straining hospital system – but private hospitals are often unable to provide this care due to restrictive funding agreements with private health insurers,” said Mr Kara.

“To stop Australia falling further behind international peers, and ensure patients receive the care they want, the government must apply a default benefit to hospital-in-the-home care,” said Mr Kara.

CHA-commissioned modelling found a default benefit of $330 per day of treatment would incentivise investment and contracting to cover a range of conditions across CHA’s not-for-profit member hospitals. This is in keeping with insurer findings that expanded hospital-in-the-home care would deliver significant savings to the sector.