Government Subsidy for Compression Therapy a ‘No Brainer’

Dr Bill McGuiness, AWMA President, and Ann Marie Dunk, AWMA (ACT) President and Committee Member of AWMA, are pictured at Parliament House, Canberra on 19 November 2012. The AWMA representatives spent a busy day meeting with members of the Australian Senate’s Standing Committee on Community Affairs, which focuses on the portfolio areas of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Health and Ageing, and Human Services. Approval was given by the AWMA Committee to target the Members during Senate Sittings in November 2012. The visit focused on raising awareness of the costs associated with managing venous leg ulcers, emphasising the need for subsidy arrangements for products used to treat these wounds. The MPs were also made aware of the current work being undertaken by consultancy firm KPMG on behalf of AWMA and the web based petition to the Senate. Senators from across the political spectrum agreed that AWMA’s case for appropriate government subsidisation was a strong one that offered substantial benefits for both patients and the budgetary bottom-line. As one Senator put it, “In my view it’s a no-brainer, and I’ll be supporting you in any way I can.” Feedback of this kind was typical, regardless of party affiliation. It’s no secret that the next Federal Budget will be a tight one, but the support AWMA is receiving is mounting fast, and we will continue this campaign on behalf of our 3000 members and 300,000 patients until a successful outcome is achieved.