Dear Member, The Federal Treasurer, The Hon Wayne Swan MP, yesterday released the 2012-2013 Federal Budget. In 2012-13, the Commonwealth will provide funding of $15.5 billion to support state health services. Within this, funding for dental health waiting lists and continued reform of the Medicare Benefits Schedule feature prominently. The VHA has conducted an initial analysis of the budget papers and has identified the following key outcomes. Capital Investment The Federal Government is investing $475 million over six years for the delivery of 76 projects through the Health and Hospital Fund (HHF) 2011 Regional Priority Round. The Department will also continue to fund the 24 Regional Cancer Centre projects to help improve access to essential cancer treatment. New capital infrastructure investments in Victorian services through the HHF include: $15.3 million for the redevelopment of Sunraysia Community Health Service, Mildura $8.8 million towards stage 2 redevelopment at Rural Northwest Health, Warracknabeal $7.3 million towards VicStroke (telemedicine stroke care for regional Victorian hospitals) at Florey Neuroscience Institute $6.0 million to Latrobe Community Health Service for the redevelopment of the interprofessional community health centre $5.7 million towards the development of Aboriginal health services for Bendigo & District Aboriginal Cooperative $5.0 million towards the expansion of integrated primary healthcare services at Macedon Ranges Health $4.4 million towards the redevelopment of an integrated primary care centre at Ovens and King Community Health Service $4.0 million towards the development of a multi-disciplinary community health centre in Numurkah District Health Service $3.9 million towards the health clinic redevelopment at Gateway Community Health $3.7 million towards the development of an integrated primary care centre at Gippsland Southern Health Service $3.5 million towards the expansion of the health and wellbeing centre at Kyabram and District Health Service $3.3 million towards the expansion of the primary care centre at Ballan District Health and Care Service $3.0 million for the redevelopment of the community health centre at Bellarine Community Health $2.8 million for the Bluewater fitness centre hydrotherapy pool development at Colac Otway Shire $2.6 million towards La Trobe University student placement accommodation in Ballarat $2.4 million for the expansion of Heathcote Health s GP Primary Care Clinic
$2.0 million for the Jacaranda House redevelopment at Bairnsdale Regional Health Service $1.7 million to Ballarat District Nursing and Healthcare Inc. for the expansion of healthcare services $1.4 million for the co-location of primary healthcare services at Mansfield District Hospital $1.0 million to Mitchell Community Health Services for the purchase of land for the Wallan integrated primary healthcare centre $0.2 million to Mitchell Community Health Service for the development of e-health capacity at the new Kinglake Ranges health centre Oral Health The Federal Government will invest $513 million over 4 years on oral health: $345.9 million for a public dental health funding blitz over three years to provide treatment for an estimated 400,000 adults on public dental waiting lists $77.7 million over four years to encourage dentists to relocate to regional, rural and remote areas of Australia and set up practice $35.7 million over three years towards the expansion of the Voluntary Dental Graduate Year to enable enhanced practice experience and professional development opportunities to more new graduates $45.2 million over four years to establish an oral health therapist graduate year program $10.5 million over three years for oral health promotion to improve Australia s oral health $0.5 million over three years to support the delivery of pro bono dental services by oral health professionals to priority groups, including concession card holders, the homeless, refugees and Indigenous Australians. Some of the money for increased dental services funding relies on the end of the Chronic Dental Disease Scheme, announced last budget but still undecided and will be further debated in parliament The VHA welcomes the Federal Government s commitment to reforming dental care in Australia. The increased investment into oral health workforce incentives, supportive infrastructure and oral health promotion are congruent with elements of the VHA Oral Health Position Paper. Primary Healthcare $34.9 million over the next 12 months to extend the General Practice Rural Incentives Australian Medicare Local Alliance will be funded from 1 July 2012 to support Medicare Local performance A national primary healthcare strategic framework will be developed in conjunction with the states and territories by December 2012 for future policy directions and priority areas
Continue to support the 24 hour nurse-based triage telephone service provided by healthdirect Australia and the after-hours GP helpline. A video consultation service will also be introduced Continue to roll-out GP super clinics and Primary Care Infrastructure Grant projects New eligibility requirements for the Practice Incentive (PIP) ehealth Incentive to encourage GP uptake of the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record Medicare Reform The Federal Government is looking to make savings to Medicare of $96.5 million over 4 years. From 1 November 2013, there will be a cap (80 per cent of the MBS fee) on Medicare Benefits payable under the Extended Medicare Safety Net (EMSN) for a small number of items where excessive fees are charged by some doctors for out of hospital services. Additionally, an upper limit (300 per cent of the MBS fee up to $500) on the amount of EMSN benefits payable for consultations will be introduced. The Connecting Health Services with the Future: Modernising Medicare by Providing Rebates for Online Consultations initiative recognises that role of telehealth in addressing geographical barriers to care. From 1 November 2012, a 15km minimum distance between specialist and patient location will be introduced. The Department will provide incentive payments to encourage eligible practitioners and facilities to provide these services via two instalments. Aged Care The Australian Government is providing $3.7 billion over the next five years through the Living Longer, Living Better package to build a fairer, more sustainable and nationally consistent age care system. This will include a $1.2 billion Workforce Compact that will tackle the critical shortages in the aged care workforce. From 1 July 2012, the Australian Government will take full funding and policy responsibility for aged care for non-indigenous people 65 years of age and over and Indigenous people 50 years of age and over. By 2015, the Commonwealth Home Support will be established to provide basic support services such as domestic assistance and transport to older Australians and will consolidate the existing Home and Community Care (HACC), the National Respite for Carers (NRCP), the Assistance with Care and Housing for the Aged (ACHA) and the Day Therapy Centres (DTC). Other 2012-13 aged care initiatives include: The establishment of an entry point for aged care services, known as the Aged Care Gateway The establishment of the My Aged Care website to provide reliable and clear information on how to access aged care services, quality service indicators and fees charged
The establishment of the Aged Care Financing Authority that will provide independent and transparent advice and information on pricing and financing issues in aged care More than 4,900 additional Home Care packages will be made available Creation of 2 new levels (4 in total) of Home Care to make it easier for people to continue to receive services in their home as they become available Continued funding for 4,000 flexible care places through the Transition Care Funding will be offered through a competitive funding round to encourage aged care providers to form partnerships with health providers and medical insurers to provide services to reduce the amount of time that older Australians are required to stay in hospital A single funding strategy, the Rural, Regional and Other Special Needs Fund will be available to maintain the viability supplement to improve access and equity to people living in regional Australia or specialist care for Indigenous Australians, or for older people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness Mental Health Over $71 million has been allocated over the next 12 months, including: $3.5 million towards the Expanding the Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre model in Victoria $9.2 million on Supporting National Mental Health Reform in Victoria $1.4 million to fund the national perinatal depression initiative in Victoria Other mental health initiatives for 2012-13 include: Establishing a single online mental health and virtual clinic for people with mild anxiety, depression and those experiencing psychosocial distress Expansion of KidsMatter Primary program Increased funding to the headspace program. A total of 90 headspace centres will be funded by 2014-15, with 15 of these sites to be announced in 2012-13 Expansion of the Access to Allied Psychological Services program Funding towards the Supporting for Day to Day Living in the Community program to provide services to an additional 3,650 people in 2012-13 Preventative Health A key initiative in 2012-13 is to address the report of the Preventative Health Taskforce and will provide $65.9 million through the Chronic Disease Prevention and Service Improvement Fund for a range of chronic disease prevention projects, particularly within the primary and community sector. This will include: The Diabetes Care Project will be a new comprehensive patient-centred model of care that will be piloted in 150 practices across Queensland, South Australia and Victoria.
Other investments $1 billion to start the National Disability Insurance Scheme $233.7 million over three years to implement the National ehealth $49.7 million over four years to expand the National Bowel Cancer Screening The VHA supports collaboration and partnership between the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments to ensure investment is coordinated and planned, rather than duplicative. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me on 9094 7777 or at trevor.carr@vha.org.au Kind regards, Trevor Carr Chief Executive