We need to start thinking outside the square – here is one such example we could look at in Australia. Maybe, maybe not – but unless we do more than allow knee-jerk reactions in Canberra, we will end up with a USA-style health system.
Medicare is not the problem
This article continues from Sussan Ley updates the nation on Medicare.
I spent several hours last night looking at the Medicare statistics. I came to a conclusion which may send a few readers reaching for their smelling salts. I ask that after you’ve taken a whiff, you stick with me. My conclusion may seem radical a first, but I believe there is method in my madness.
Australia has to make a decision on a very simple question. Do the majority of Australians want universal health care? I believe the answer is yes, on the basis over 80% of Australians support Medicare. As we can see above, this country’s largest single expense line is Health. 17.8% of the taxes you and I pay is spent on Health. If we group all the Welfare lines together, Welfare accounts for 36.8%, more than double Health.
Sussan Ley updates the nation on Medicare
As any regular reader of this site is aware, I have been very vocal about the various changes to Medicare proposed by the LNP government. A list of past articles is provided at the end of this article should you have missed out. I also appeared on the ABC News supporting the RACGP in their “You’ve Been Targeted” campaign.
Earlier this week I wondered what was happening. Minister Ley had promised to consult with doctors before making any changes. I’d suggested Ley not forget about the most important demographic: the patients. I Googled and didn’t find much. I checked Ley’s Twitter feed and found the odd tweet about consulting with doctors.
https://twitter.com/MalBrough_MP/status/563504992078688257
Meeting with doctors and
more doctors.
The Do Not Call Register
Years ago I registered my phone numbers on the Do Not Call Register. Lately I have been getting more and more “marketing” calls on both numbers. Many of them, annoyingly, are from private numbers. With four three teenagers and one young adult, I always feel a compulsion to answer calls. Who knows what trouble young people can get themselves into these days!
Today I got yet another call and I really saw red. My boss happened to be in my office at the time and said those three little words. Do Not Call Register. OK, be picky – four little words. I’d forgotten completely that my original registration had probably expired.
The joys of MyGov, Centrelink, Medicare, The Tax Man and eHealth
Please allow me to introduce you to the joys of MyGov. As an IT professional anything I can do on-line, I will. Certainly saves standing in queues.
For overseas readers (or newish arrivals to Australia) we have a few government services we can access through a central portal and single log on. I quite like it. When it works.
The services at the time of writing are:
- Australian Tax Office – no explanation necessary, I am sure
- Centrelink – unemployment benefits and family assistance, aged pensions etc – absorbed into Human Services
- Medicare – commonwealth run health insurance – absorbed into Human Services
- eHealth – our medical history centralised in one place (new innovation)
- National Disability Insurance Scheme – I don’t know much about this
- Veterans’ Affairs – for our returned services personnel
- Child Support Agency – manages collection of child support from parents
- Australian Job Search – to assist the unemployed find jobs
The login screen looks like this:
MyGov.gov.au
Open letter in support of the Australian Human Rights Commission
If you support the Australian Human Rights Commission, click through to add your name in support. Do it now, otherwise you’ll forget!
The following open letter was sent to editors of a number of Australian media publications regarding recent political attacks on the President of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Professor Gillian Triggs. Its signatories included a number of Castan Centre academics. If you would like to add your name in support of this letter, please do so in the comments section below.
Dear Editor
Independent public office holders are an important part of modern democratic societies. Their task is to ensure accountability for abuses of power by government. Their capacity to perform this role depends on their independence and ability to act impartially. The Australian Human Rights Commission is one such institution.
The Commonwealth law under which the Commission operates empowers it to ‘inquire into any act or practice that may be inconsistent with or contrary to any human right’.
The Commission has done exactly this in its report, titled
View original post 1,275 more words
‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ – a young woman shares her thoughts
This article was originally submitted as a comment on What does ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ teach young women? I felt the Caitlin Mary’s words deserved a solo performance. I am publishing this as Caitlin wrote it, from the heart.
Montage by Caitlin Mary
I have SO much to say on this topic so I apologise in advance for the essay I’m about to write (and potential spelling and grammar slip ups). To give some of my background I’m an avid reader of both young adult fiction and fanfiction. I’ve also studied a little bit of psychology and at one point was heavily interested in a career in sex ed. I’ve very interested in sexuality, gender and other such sex topics. SO suffice to say, I have just a few opinions on this 🙂
What does ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ teach young women?
I have three daughters. The oldest is married and thirty-something (she’ll kill me if I quantify the “something”). The next in line is twenty and still relatively new to western civilisation although adapting remarkably well. The youngest is twelve.
Click on the image for the best worst reviews of ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’
I remember some discussion when ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ first came out. Now the movie is out. I thought it was one book – I learnt today it is actually three books. The hype surrounding the books seems to be exceeded by the hype surrounding the movie.
“… the film has already been a hit in Australia for Universal, becoming the studio’s “second-biggest opening day of all time“, with more box office records expected to be broken this opening weekend.”
WOW! For a movie made from a book that is frequently given a review rating of one (yes, 1) that is some opening.
Do we let patients suffer needlessly?
An interesting discussion on the different approaches to treating PTSD
Random Observations of Life 