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PROJECTS
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| Health
Reform
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| A
carefully considered health reform agenda is a key national
priority. However,
neither short-term poll-driven
approaches nor top-down bureaucratic tinkering will deliver significant reform. We
need a combination of policy innovation from the top and
enterprising solutions from below to break the deadening
stalemate in health care.
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| Framework
for Reform
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| Our
framework for reform focuses on five key issues.
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The
health system is highly fragmented, with little continuity
of care across program, service and practitioner types or
jurisdictional boundaries, with few incentives for the
industry to become consumer-focussed. What new policy
innovations are now required for a systemic shift to
integrated and consumer-focussed care?
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There
is no financial incentive for practitioners and providers
to undertake serious preventative health care to keep
people well and out of surgeries or hospitals. On the
contrary, most of the financial incentives for
practitioners reward repeat business with unwell clients. What financial
models for rewarding illness-prevention are now
needed?
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Health
consumers are disadvantaged by sharp information
asymmetries between doctor and patient, and have little
market-based influence in shaping the quality and pricing
of services. What
kinds of consumer intermediaries are needed to empower
consumers in information access, brokerage and purchasing
of health services?
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The
COAG Co-ordinated Care Trials have come and gone with
little or no continuity in innovation. Several
indigenous health organisations
have undertaken processes with the Federal
Government for 'cashing out' Medicare entitlements to
develop indigenous health care organisations with
negotiated funding models. What
alternative models and strategies might now be trialled,
and what kinds of community/intermediary/provider
partnerships might drive them?
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Private
insurance is currently divorced from any active role in
the management and delivery of health care, meaning its
capacity to contain costs is limited.
What role
for financial intermediaries and insurers is appropriate
in a new framework for managing integrated health care?
In August 2004, Social Enterprise
Partnerships conducted a series of workshops on health reform in Melbourne and
Sydney with Karen Merrikin, Director of Health Policy at Group Health Co-operative,
Seattle.
As a result of these workshops an Integrated
Health Care Reference Group was established to
co-ordinate the development of enterprise initiatives which
further reform.
The principal focus of the
Group will be the development of a national social enterprise
to lead the integration of our fragmented heath care.
EXPRESS YOUR
INTEREST IN BETTER HEALTH CARE
CLICK
HERE to see
the Patient-Centred Health Care Network project.
Expressions of Interest are welcome from consumers, practitioners, service providers, insurers, researchers, health educators, policy makers and social investors.
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Here's the schedule for the next few months. Don't forget to check regularly for new additions - or complete the box below to receive our
email updates.
14
June 2005
Churches,
Social Capital and Social Enterprise. One Day
Workshop: New Thinking about Church and Society.
CLICK HERE for details.
17
June 2005
Empowering
Individuals and Families in the Human Services.
Sydney. CLICK
HERE for details.
26
July 2005
Social
Enterprise: NSW Networking and Collaboration. One
day networking conference. Sydney. CLICK
HERE for details.
3
August 2005
Empowering
Individuals and Families in the Human Services.
Adelaide.
10
August 2005
Health
Reform: Breaking the Stalemate. One
day strategy workshop. Melbourne. CLICK
HERE for details.
8-9
September 2005
Community
Building, Partnerships and Social Enterprise.
National Conference. Melbourne. An opportunity for
community and business leaders, social
entrepreneurs, policy makers and investors to do a
national stocktake on community building and where
we are heading. CLICK
HERE for details.
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EMAIL UPDATES
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