What the 2015 Budget Holds for Australian Health

Yesterday’s 2015-16 Federal Budget announcement held a lot of news for the medical sector. While we will be exploring each of the sections in further details over the next few days, here is a summary of the key points from the Government’s proposal to reduce national debt and stimulate the economy.
A Medicare review will be carried out, focusing on chronic conditions.
The national electronic health records system (MyHealth) is receiving an overhaul.
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme will be expanded to include a number of medicines such as certain cancer, multiple sclerosis and asthma treatments (among others). So too will the immunisation program, covering young children, the elderly and those requiring cervical cancer vaccinations.
Aged Care funding has been increased, with funding to be allocated to the consumer based on their care needs from 1 February 2017.
Medical research is receiving a boost of  $10 million in 2015/16 from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), with more than $400 million expected to be provided to researchers over the next four years.
Special attention has been given to our organ donor and transplant system with the establishment of the Australian Organ Matching System, and improvements for the International Bone Marrow and Haematopoietic Progenitor Cells Programme.
Rural Medicine has received special attention, with a reshuffle of accreditation requirements for GPs, Specialists and other health workers practising in remote or rural regions and an increase in scholarships for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders working in healthcare. The Royal Flying Doctor Service is also receiving additional funding in order to act as the primary emergency medicine and primary health provider across remote Australia. A number of regional health centres are also receiving added funding.
Changes to regulations on harmful chemicals: reducing red-tape on the use of lower-risk industrial chemicals but funding its stance on tobacco plain-packaging laws (which has been implemented but is under threat from international trade agreements).
Of course the extra funds have to come from somewhere, so funding has been cut from General Practice, dental health, health aids, and through raising the PBS threshhold.
The Government’s “no jab no pay” policy and its new national drugs campaign targeting widespread ice usage is also slated to have an impact on the health sector.
Image: Treasurer Joe Hockey speaks as he delivers the 2015 Budget in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, Tuesday, May 12, 2015.  (AAP Image/Lukas Coch)