Thursday 30 July 2009
Bupa welcomes the NHHRC's bold health reform blueprint
Bupa Australia, which operates under the trusted private health insurance brands HBA, MBF and Mutual Community, has congratulated the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission (NHHRC) for its bold and ambitious health reform blueprint, released this week by the Federal Government.
Bupa Managing Director, Richard Bowden, said the Report would help underpin the future health of the Nation by providing sustainable solutions to address a range of critical issues, including preventative health and quality of patient care, as well as important public health services such as sub-acute, palliative and mental health services.
In particular, Bowden commended the Commission on its recommendation to introduce a national system of electronic patient records, saying that the initiative will enhance the quality, safety and continuity of healthcare for all Australians, "...whilst maintaining individuals' privacy and giving them choice as to whom they share their information with."
He went on to say that Bupa is looking forward to the value-add opportunities this initiative presents.
"Not only might we become a provider, or administrator of health records for our customers, we may also be able to positively contribute to their health records.
"This will add to the depth and richness of the records' content over the long-term as we continue to work in partnership with customers to identify and initiate tailored preventative health initiatives that will empower them to better manage their health," Bowden continued.
He also commented that one of the less feted recommendations in the Report had the potential to truly drive improved health across the Nation.
"We're pleased that the Commission is encouraging the development and delivery of health and wellness promotion programs within Australian workplaces, and that it wants the Government to remove roadblocks preventing this.
"This recommendation will enable both employers and the health industry to work together to provide opportunities to enhance the health of Australia's workforce and to incentivise employees who proactively manage their health by participating in such initiatives," said Bowden.
He went on to express some concern that, in its current proposed form, Denticare may not be in the best health interests of all Australians, and encouraged the Government to recognise "...the significant positive contribution the private health industry makes to affordable and accessible dental cover for Australians, with around 40 per cent of the Australian population having some form of private dental cover."
"Like the Commission, we strongly advocate that every single Australian has access to affordable dental care. Unfortunately though, Denticare, as it currently stands, may not effectively facilitate this," Bowden continued.
Bowden went on to say that, although the precise Denticare details may not yet have been worked through by the Commission, one key potential drawback is that the current proposal does not appear to be designed to assist people in the short-term who already have extensive dental problems, and in many cases are already on lengthy public dentistry waiting lists.
"And, if Denticare is to work, it's essential that premiums paid for dental plans keeps pace with the actual costs of delivery of services, otherwise we simply risk increasing the proportion of people who avoid going to the dentist so they don’t incur spiralling out-of-pocket expenses," Bowden said.
Regardless of these initial concerns specific to Denticare, Bowden praised the NHHRC for actively endeavouring to create a healthier future for all Australians, saying, "Bupa's goal is to help all Australians lead longer, happier, healthier lives. With that in mind, we will actively work with the Government and industry to ensure that the best and most effective recommendations are delivered for the benefit of our customers and all Australians."
