PRIME MINISTER
EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
HEALTH POLICY STATEMENT
FRANKSTON 18 JUNE 1987
in February 1984, my Government restored-fairness and
equality of access to the health insurance system with the
introduction of Medicare.
The system is built on our uncompromising commitment to
three clear, fundamental principles: health insurance cover
for all Australians; equality of access to health services'
for all Australianis; and payment according to means for all
Australians. The dramatic and incontrovertible achievement of Medicare is
this: two million Australians who previously had no health
insurance cover now have it.
That's two million Australians who now have the security and
confidenc3 of health insurance who had none before.
After the chronic chaos of the Fraser years, Medicare
restored sanity and predictability and reassurance to a
vital arocz of family life and family budgeting.
Australian families have not forgotten the uncertainty they
were caused by the string of five different health insurance
systems introduced over the seven Fraser/ Howard years.
That is w~ hy Australian families will be rightly alarmed by
the Liberals' promise, confirmed as recently as yesterday by
their health spokesman, to resume their onslaught on
med ica;: e.
The purpose of today's press conference is not solely to
highlight the flaws in the Liberal's health scheme.
It is also to contrast it w'ith the range of policies which
the Government has put in place to improve the delivery of
health care services in Australia.
I also want to release details of two new initiatives which
the Government will implement to further improve the
Australian health system.
2
Before proceeding, I want to pay special tribute to Neal
Blewett who has been an outstanding Health minister
throughout the life of this government.
one of the Government's new initiatives concerns Neal
Blewett's portfolio; the other concerns Susan Ryan who has
ably discharged her role as minister Assisting me on the
Status of Women.'
Yesterday the Liberals' health spokesman, Senator Baume,
released a policy which confirms that his Party's commitment
to helping the big private health funds, at the expense of
the average Australian family, has not diminished.
His proposal is unaffordable, unworkable and, most of all,
unfair. It is proof that the Liberals want to dismantle one of the
Government's greatest social reforms Medicare and negate
its progressive contribution to redistribution and equity.
The Liberal's health policy is clearly from the same stable
as their tax policy.
It is a redistributive policy which penalises the poor and
the ill and helps the wealthy and healthy.
The Liberals want to take the most valuable card in your
wallet or purse your Medicare Card.
in effect, they want to pick your pocket and they're
asking your help to do it.
Australians who get sick would be fleeced by the Liberals to
the tune of $ 250 a year.
And the Liberals insult the intelligence of the Australian
community by saying this charge can be insured against.
Over a year these weekly insurance costs would add up to
virtually the same amount as the front end charge.
The Liberals justified the new $ 250 charge on the grounds
that it would act as a disincentive to unnecessary medical
servicing. But that aim would be negated by the
availability of insurance.
The Liberals' so-called amnesty to dispose of hospital
waiting queues must be seen as a wand-waving exercise
It supposes people on public hospital waiting lists can
afford top table insurance; and it would inevitably force
private fund premiums through the roof.
And the proposal to reintroduce ' gap' insurance would hit
hardest the chronically ill including those least able to
afford it.
Under the Lib-.--als' scheme those people unable or unwilling
to take private medical insurance will nevertheless find
themselves paying the levy plu the $ 250 charge or
equivalent insu. Lance plus tlhega p between schedule fees and
actual medical ', ills or the optional gap insurance.
The flaws in t Nis proposal are not surprising: Senator
Baume was only appointed as his Party's health spokesman a
few weeks ago; in the Liberals, haste in putting together
their hotch-potch of policies, simplicity and fairness has
gone by the board.
Their new policy has dribbled out in bits and pieces since
the election began, which has only added to the confusion.
Just as the Fraiser Government created five successive health
systems in seven years Michael Baume has presided over
five different health policies in the last seven daysi
Let me now turn to the specific initiatives we are
announcing today.
The first concerns hospital waiting lists.
Let me first e;:-plode the myth which the Liberals have been
assiduously p-ishing that waiting lists are a function of
Medicare.
Whatever Senator Baume may claim, State Health Ministers
agree Medicarc is not to blame.
Hospital waiting lists are the regrettable result of a
combination off factors such as shortages of nurses and
medical specialiists, and the rapid advance of medical
technology wlhich has helped to boost public expectations of
treatment and demand for it.
These issues are properly within the responsibilities of
State governmrents.
Some state governments, notably Victoria and NSW, have begun
programs designed to address some of the bottlenecks.
However, the Commonwealth does have a role to play in
supporting su~ ch state initiativeo.
Accordingly, my Government will provide funds to State
governments so they can implement programs which will have a
real impact on reducing waiting lists.
States will, f , r example, be able to use the funds to
increase the number of nurses, thereby increasing their
hospitals' capacity to provide surgery.
They will be able to increase the number and quality of
their day-care surgeries, which are recognised as the most
cost-effective way of treating patients.
or they wil 1he able to creat wards or theatres specially
dedicated to certain kinds of treatment, which will allow
hospitals t: o provide speedier treatment, and thus shorter
waiting lists.
In other words, these initiatives will provide faster
treatment at lower cost to the system.
Faster trea~ tment means reduced waiting lists: and reduced
waiting lists means better health care for all Australians.
In all, we expect $ 100 million over two years to be spent on
this work.
The third Hawke Government will make available $ 25 million a
year over the two year life of this Hospital Waiting List
Assistance 2rogram.
This money will be provided to State governments on a dollar
for dollar b3asis, bringing the total to $ 100 million.
We are this addressing the real, as opposed to the illusory,
causes of hospital waiting lists.
The second :-nitiative I am announcing today continues the
implementat~. on of the Government's desire to prevent
il-el'tbefore it strikes, rather than to treat people
it is also an initiative of special relevance to women.
The most ccirrnon form of cancer killing women in Australia
today is Lbr-ast cancer: over 5000 new cases are diagnosed
each year; one woman in 15 develops breast cancer at some
stage during her life.
This rate iG far too high: especially when, according to
the latest Luedical evidence, the chances of women over
developing breast cancer can be significantly reduced if it
is detected oarly by breast x-rays.
The next Haw., te Government will, as a first step, help set up
and evaluatc a nation-wide study into the effectiveness of
breast cancer screening in mature women to assess the
feasibilit~, of a national screening program.
Similarly, there is evidence that screening programs for
cervical cancer can also be effective in preventing it.
M~ any women however particularly those in the older, higher
risk groups and those in rural areas are reluctant to
attend inale doctors for cervical cancer tests.
My government therefore will share with the States the cost
of establishing cervical cancer screening services provided
by women medical teams especially in rural areas.
Both these preventive programs are inexpensive and, we
weille hi$ Kl effective wys of stoppin significant th
health problems before they start.
million will be set aside for the cervical program in
1989-90.
The Governauent has not restricted its efforts in health
F: policy to the introduction of universal and fair health
insuranco system as important as that is to every
Australian individual and family.
We have also placed an upper limit on the amount that
families or individuals have to pay for pharmaceuticals.
It is a simiple and convenient safety net which protects the
chronically ill and which of course allows pensioners to
continue to receive listed pharmaceuticals for free.
We have also led the world in the fight against AIDS.
We becanre the first country to implement comprehensive blood
screening tests.
In no Australian case since May 1983 has the AIDS virus been
transitted through blood or blood products.
We have co-operated with the State Governmients in a $ 100
million ccamipaign against drug abuse.
We have also taken steps to develop a strategy aimed at the
Prreventon of ill health and the encouragement of healthier
lestylez in Australia.
We are the first Government to set about this task in a
coherent kashion.
It is designed to yield not just improvements in the quality
of Australian life but real reductions in the calls we make
upon the health system.
on this record, and this contrast with the Opposition, we
are proud to ask the Australian people to judge us.
Neal Blowett, Susan Ryan and I will be happy to answer your
quest ions.