HEALTH
Background
At the outset, it is important to dispel the myth that the big threat to the sustainability of our health system is population ageing: CLICK HERE
Policy
Australia should have a healthy and long living population, supported by a health system that is innovative, accessible, affordable and sustainable.
Policy Methods (Federal & State)
To help achieve this Australia should:
- Better promote preventative health care through healthier lifestyle choices, including:
- Appropriate food and beverage choices, particularly at primary and secondary schools;
- A national physical activity plan promoting and supporting regular exercise including accessible community-led sporting groups;
- A ban on junk and high sugar content food and beverage advertising to children during children’s television viewing hours;(1)
- Proper government assessment of appropriate dietary requirements and intakes including sugar levels;
- An excise on products containing high levels of sugar, with the revenue raised from such a sugar excise to be directed to subsidising appropriate fresh fruit and vegetables, and funding public health awareness campaigns and anti-obesity health care;
- Affordable access to primary health care.
- Provide universal access to free contraception and reproductive health advice.
- Properly review the health care system to identify and eliminate waste and mismanagement.
- Better invest in medical and nursing training as well as scientific research and cost-effective medical technology in order to bring down the cost of healthcare.(2)
- Better resource mental health services, including hospital and community-based preventative care, assessment and support services.
- Roll out the NDIS with maximum efficiency and priority for Australia’s high needs individuals and families.
- Treat personal drug abuse as primarily a health issue and support users with well-funded rehabilitation programs.
- Support proven quality natural or 'alternative' health care.
Footnotes:
- Children’s viewing hours are Mon-Fri 7:00-8:00, 16:00-20:30, Sat-Sun 7:00-20:30. NB: 91% are concerned about TV food ads directed at children: Coalition on Food Advertising to Children research.
- We know from successive Federal Treasury studies that the ever-rising cost of healthcare - caused not so much by the ageing of the population as by the ever-rising cost of advances in medical technology - is the greatest reason for the projected increase in budget deficits.
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