ESSA calls for Medicare eligibility expansion
November 16, 2015
With the federal government currently conducting a review of the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS), industry body Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA) has this week lodged a formal submission calling for greater engagement and support of allied health professionals, such as accredited exercise physiologists, in the delivery of MBS items.
ESSA Senior Industry Development Officer Katie Lyndon said expanding patient eligibility criteria to facilitate early intervention would achieve considerable health system cost savings and improved patient outcomes.
“According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare*, approximately 32 per cent of Australia’s total burden of disease can be attributed to modifiable risk factors such as physical activity levels and obesity,” Ms Lyndon said.
“Currently, more than five per cent of Australian adults have been diagnosed with diabetes and this number is expected to grow to 3.5 million by 2033**, signalling a need to implement lifestyle interventions amongst high-risk patients sooner rather than later.”
Ms Lyndon said economically, it made sense to address these problems now through the use of exercise interventions rather than waiting for people to develop a chronic condition like diabetes and funding costly treatments.
“This could be achieved through expanding eligibility criteria for access to MBS Chronic Disease Management items and group sessions to include patients with pre-diabetes,” Ms Lyndon said.
“Taking action now not only has the potential to reduce the incidence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus by more than 30 percent***; it can also delay disease progression in pre-diabetes patients and save millions of dollars in healthcare and productivity costs.”
Ms Lyndon said ESSA had also called on the government to expand Medicare-funded telehealth provisions to cater to Australia’s regional and remote population.
“At present, there is a forty-fold difference in the number of MBS-funded allied health services being accessed in metropolitan areas as compared to rural areas.”
“This can be largely attributed to a lack of service availability in rural Australia, and indicates that more needs to be done to provide those living in regional and remote areas with increased access to allied health services.”
“Under the current MBS model, telehealth consultations are limited to specialist appointments and other select healthcare consultations, so we’re urging the government to offer rebates for all allied health telehealth consultations as a means of addressing inequalities in healthcare access for those living outside our major cities.”
Ms Lyndon said whist rural communities were currently some of the most disadvantaged in terms of access to healthcare services, this issue was also reflected amongst the broader population.
“One of the most serious gaps in the current MBS model is the constrained access to allied health professionals, regardless of the severity or complexity of a person’s condition,” Ms Lyndon said.
“The significant out-of-pocket contributions for healthcare services can often deter people from seeking treatment. For those that do seek treatment, they are often referred to individual providers for treatment rather than a range of allied health professionals that can each provide specialised input.”
“In a bid to deliver optimum outcomes for patients, ESSA advocates the importance of access to a range of allied health professionals as part of a multidisciplinary, team-based care model.”
“This includes the removal of barriers and inequity of rules applied to accredited exercise physiologists and other allied health practitioners delivering services within the MBS, which increase administrative burden, create duplication and delay patient access to intervention.”
To read the full submission, find out more about ESSA or locate an accredited exercise physiologist in your local area, please visit www.essa.org.au.
// Ends.
Sources
* Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011-12 Australian Health Survey, http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/d3310114.nsf/home/australian+health+survey.
**Department of Health, Australia’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines, January 2014, http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/health-pubhlth-strateg-phys-act-guidelines/$File/Brochures_PAG_Adults18-64yrs.PDF.
*** Medibank, The cost of physical inactivity, October 2008, http://www.medibank.com.au/client/documents/pdfs/the_cost_of_physical_inactivity_08.pdf.
About ESSA
Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA) is the peak professional body for exercise and sports science in Australia and provides national leadership and advocacy on key issues. It supports its 3,500-plus members and the community through fostering excellence in professional practice, education, training and research.
Website: www.essa.org.au
About Exercise Right
Exercise Right is an ESSA initiative that is all about inspiring people to live happier and healthier lives. Through the sharing of inspiring stories, engaging content, and evidence-based tips and articles using up-to-date scientific research in the field of exercise and sports science, Exercise Right wants to empower people to exercise right for who they are and their condition.
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