The latest from Better Access Australia
Election 2022 News
Better Access Australia welcomes bipartisan first steps in medicine affordability, but more is needed to make it a generational and equitable reform
1 May 2022
Both major parties are committing to reduce the PBS co-payment for individuals and families earning over $67K per year from 1 January 2023.
“Better Access Australia welcomes the recognition by the major parties that we need to bring the day-to-day affordability of medicines back within reach of working Australians. Felicity McNeill chair, Better Access Australia said.
“Yesterday the Prime Minister committed to reducing the general co-payment for medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) by $10 to $32.50, and today Mr Albanese has announced the general co-payment will be reduced by $12.50 to $30.00 if Labor is elected to Government.
“These are incredibly important first steps in making day to day healthcare and medicines more affordable for the community.
“Reducing the general co-payment is an important first step, but with inflation at 5.1% both these commitments will be chewed up within two years like the 2019 safety net measure.
“It’s why we need a second, third, fourth and fifth step if we are to achieve the systematic reform that makes medicines affordable again over the next decade. Ms McNeill said
“In welcoming these announcements Better Access Australia maintains its call for:
a permanent mid-tier co-payment of $20 for individuals and families earning under the Family Tax Benefit A income thresholds,
automated safety nets to make sure high medicine users get the full protection of the system like they do on the MBS,
a freeze on indexation for five years on both co-pays and safety nets to stop inflation devaluing the commitments made over the past 24 hours, and
ensuring the PBS co-pays and safety net apply to all PBS listed medicines and end the discrimination against specific diseases on the PBS.
“In combination with the policies announced by the Coalition and Labor, BAA is asking for reform that will ensure the principle of affordable access to medicines under the PBS can transcend economic volatility.”
Please see media release in full here.
Election 2022: Six Health and Disability Services Scheme Reforms
27 April 2022
Better Access Australia has written to all parties and independent candidates seeking commitments to six reforms and actions of our health and disability services schemes.
As a not for profit focused on system level reform, we are focused on the gaps in access and gaps in affordability of our system and delivering reforms that help patients, consumers, government and industry.
1. #MindtheGap in Newborn Screening
with a nationally funded newborn screening program for 80 rare diseases
2. #MindtheGap in keeping healthcare affordable for patients
with a mid-tier PBS co-pay of $20 and freeze indexation increases for five years
3. #MindtheGap in time to health technology access
with a #100day from TGA registration to subsidised system access KPI
4. #MindtheGap in the affordability of private healthcare
with a review that addresses consumer needs and out of pocket costs
5. #MindtheGap in government mandated discrimination
by ensuring all PBS medicines are protected by co-pays and safety net
6. #MindtheGap in access between health, NDIS and employment support
by improving assessment processes and equality of access
Read the quick link (the two-pager) to our six asks, and if you want more detail on why these reforms are needed and how they can delivered click here.
We will publish a ready reckoner of the responses and commitments of all parties and individuals in response to our requests to keep our work transparent and the community informed.
Newborn screening is already a federal election commitment from the Labor party, and PBS Co-payment reforms have been committed to by the Coalition, with Labor announcing there will be policy reforms in this area too.
Read our letter to Mr Adam Bandt and Senator Steele-John of the Australia Greens here.
Read our letter to the Independents here.
Read our letter to The Hon Mark Butler, Shadow Minister for Health and Aging here.
LABOR’S COMMITMENT TO A NATIONAL AND EXPANDED NEWBORN SCREENING PROGRAM WILL SAVE TINY LIVES
April 6, 2022
In introducing a national and expanded newborn screening program for Australia Labor will triple the number of diseases we screen our babies for at birth, making Australia a world leader in newborn health once again.
“In last week’s budget the Government announced funding of potentially curative treatments for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), but tragically only 1 in 3 babies in Australia will be screened for access to this treatment because only NSW and ACT screen for SMA.
“And without diagnosis, there simply is no treatment, Better Access Australia Chair Felicity McNeill PSM stated.
“Labor’s commitment to a national and expanded newborn screening program will end the postcode lottery for our babies and end the complete lack of access to screening anywhere in Australia for over 50 diseases we can treat from birth” Ms McNeill added.
Recent national polling showed that 84% of respondents agreed that Australia should screen newborn babies for more diseases and 85% agreeing it should be a national program.
“It’s not just Better Access Australia that has called for action on newborn screening. The community has too, Ms McNeill said
“They have heard Nate’s story and Olympia’s story. They have heard Renee’s story and Joh and Adriana’s stories. Stories of unnecessarily delayed diagnosis with tragic consequences. All which could have been prevented with national and expanded newborn screening.
Full details in press release here.
FEDERAL BUDGET FAILS 300,000 BABIES
March 30, 2022
Tuesday’s federal Budget has failed to deliver what Australian babies need most – a contemporary, universal newborn screening program.
“The Government's listing of a gene therapy for Spinal Muscular Atrophy Types 1 and 2 (SMA) should be cause for congratulations, but the sad reality is that two out of three babies that would benefit from this treatment will suffer irreparable damage due to delays in diagnosis because of Australia’s postcode lottery for newborn screening, Better Access Australia Chair Felicity McNeill said.
Australia only screens nationally for 25 diseases at birth. This compares to California that screens for 80 diseases, of which 76 have treatments. “Too often, by the time a baby is diagnosed in Australia, irreparable cognitive or physical deterioration has already occurred, often leading to death. Ms McNeill said
“As Joh, a mum of two has told us ‘I lost my firstborn son because newborn screening in Australia does not currently include Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), despite the rest of our industrialized neighbours having it. An updated newborn screening would have meant my son would be alive today. Because we knew about it in my second child we were able to save his life and he is a thriving toddler now."
Newborn screening tests that cost a few dollars per baby are saving tiny lives across America, Europe and Asia, but not in Australia.
Better Access Australia called for the program to be made universal, like Australia’s National Immunisation Program, with an immediate review to include the 55 diseases screened for in California and not Australia, with bi-annual reviews thereafter to keep our health system contemporary for our newborns. It was not actioned by the Government.
#EnoughisEnough
Full details in press release here.
FEDERAL BUDGET IGNORES THE MAJORITY OF AUSTRALIANS STRUGGLING TO AFFORD THEIR MEDICINES
March 29, 2022
The Government’s announcement of a repeat of its 2019 election PBS safety net measure shows its lack of understanding of the true cost of medicines.
Families earning no more than $70,000 a year face the ongoing choice of food on the table or medicines for themselves or their kids.
BAA welcomes reducing safety net thresholds for concessional patients, but tonight’s measures will do nothing to protect the majority of Australians from the increasing weekly unaffordability of medicines.
Waiting to fill 34 scripts for medicine cost relief is not a luxury most families can afford.
Full details in press release here.
A BUDGET THAT PRIORITISES EQUALITY AND AFFORDABILITY OF ACCESS TO OUR HEALTH SYSTEM CAN DELIVER BETTER ACCESS, AUSTRALIA
March 27, 2022
As the federal budget looms, the need for a focus on improving equality of access to health services in Australia remains critical. Individual treatment subsidies are always welcomed but the systemic shortcomings must be addressed now if we are to end the increasing tension of a system of those who have access and those who do not.
Budget 2022-23 is a chance to redefine and future-proof the system, not merely work around. Action is needed this Budget because right now:
PBS co-payments are tracking towards $50 per script outpacing the cost of living;
Australia’s babies are some of the least protected in the world for early screening and diagnosis of rare diseases;
Patients managing opioid addiction are being financially discriminated against by the government despite the protections of the law;
Average wait times for access to subsidised medicines are over 820 days and growing; and
Patients are being forced to accept huge out of pocket costs in their access to specialists for primary healthcare, none of which is covered by their private health insurance.
This week’s budget needs to:
Introduce a mid-tier co-payment for the PBS based on Family Tax Benefit A, recognising the challenges for individuals, couples and families earning less than $136,000 and freezing indexation growth for 5 years
Introduce an expanded and nationally consistent newborn bloodspot screening program following a once-off catch up review, with the new program rolled out by 1 July 2023 based on the funding model for the National Immunisation Program
End the government’s requirement for pharmacies to charge out of pocket fees for access to medicines for managing opioid addiction and bring their distribution and subsidy into line with all other PBS medicines by 1 July 2022
Establish a #100days from medicine and device registration to subsidy target in Australia to improve access to all therapeutics irrespective of indication or patient population with program administration and contracting based on this new standard
Reduce out of pocket costs for patients obliged to see specialists on an annual basis to maintain access to ongoing PBS medicines used in the primary care setting
Conduct a consumer-need analysis of private health in Australia recognising the interaction between the public and private health systems and the increasing use of private healthcare outside the hospital setting with no insurance coverage.
Full details in press release here.
INCREASING COSTS OF MEDICINES UNMANAGEABLE
BAA CALLS FOR A REDUCED PBS CO-PAY AS PART OF 2022-23 BUDGET
February 02, 2022
Better Access Australia (BAA) is calling on the federal government to #MindTheGap in the affordability of healthcare as part of its 2022-23 Budget.
“Right now, Australians are paying some of the highest co-payments for subsidised medicines in the world. Only the US, Canada and Switzerland charge patients more,” Better Access Australia Chair Felicity McNeill said.
Better Access Australia is calling for a reduction in the general PBS co-payment from $42.50 to $20 per script for some patients and freezing indexation on PBS co-pays and safety nets as Australians face the challenge of growing inflation and wage stagnation.
“With 40.4% of people aged 15-44 managing a chronic health condition, too many in the community are facing high costs to manage their health.
“Waiting to fill 36 scripts before your medicines are made affordable is not a luxury of time and luxury of cost many can afford. No individual, parent or child should be going without their medicines because they’re managing their monthly household budget and waiting for their safety net to bring the cost of their medicines down.
“Non-compliance with medicines for chronic conditions risks acute and longer-term complications. It’s not good for the health of the community or the health of our health system.
To read media release in full click here.
BETTER ACCESS AUSTRALIA’S PRE-BUDGET SUBMISSION
CALLING FOR GOVERNMENT TO #MINDTHEGAP FOR AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY
January 31, 2022
Calling for six areas to #MindTheGap, our submission to the government asks for:
1) A national Newborn Bloodspot Screening program to match international best practice of up to 80 diseases.
2) End the government-mandated discrimination by making all medicines that treat opioid dependence, a recognised disability, subject to the PBS co-payment and safety-net provisions as afforded to every other medicine on the PBS.
3) Daily medicine access to be made affordable for families once again by reducing the general PBS co-payment from $42.50 to $20 per script.
4) End the 820-day average wait by making a 100 day policy from TGA approval to subsidised access for medicines and medical devices.
5) End the costs to patients and costs to government of unnecessary annual referrals to specialists for long-term treatment of a chronic disease.
6) Change the emphasis of Private Health Reform to better capture the consumer interest in health coverage expectations rather than an exclusive debate between government and insurers on cost of devices and annual price increases.
These proposals are a combination of targeted reforms for some of the most vulnerable in our community as well as system-wide reforms to benefit the entire population.
Better Access Australia’s 2022-2023 Pre-Budget Submission is available to read here.