Small change could make huge difference to mental health care access

31 October 2019

Small change could make huge difference to mental health care
access
A small regulatory change to make it compulsory for private hospital day and community based mental
health programs to be available under private health insurance could address a key issue from today's
Productivity Commission report – access to care.

Commenting on the draft report Australian Private Hospitals Association (APHA) Acting CEO Lucy
Cheetham said the Commission had identified an issue that has long been a barrier to private hospitals
providing broader models of care.

The Commission called for: The Australian, State and Territory Governments should reconfigure the mental
health system to give all Australians access to mental healthcare, at a level of care that most suits their
treatment needs (in line with the stepped care model), and that is timely and culturally appropriate.

"The Commission is exactly right to point to the 'missing middle' in mental health services. People with
severe mental health conditions need a range of well-coordinated supports and help prevent them from
deteriorating to the point where they need acute hospital care. They also need co-ordinated,
multidisciplinary care to support them after discharge from hospital," she said.

"Thankfully, this could reasonably easily be addressed, at least in part, by making a small regulatory
change and extending the default minimum benefit private health insurers must pay on overnight care to
day and community out-reach programs as well.

"While the default benefit for overnight care is still very low, it is mandatory for all private health insurance
policies and does mean that in a time of crisis patients can go to their hospital of choice.

"However, it does not apply to day programs or hospital out-reach programs and is a barrier to innovative
programs being established in the private hospital sector. Our private mental health hospitals are in the
perfect position to provide this comprehensive care model with significant expertise built in the treatment of
high prevalence disorders over decades, their existing relationship with the patient's treating psychiatrist as
well as their established and trusted therapeutic relationships with patients, their carers and their family,"
she said.

Ms Cheetham said a program like Toowong Private Hospital's award winning Mobile Recovery Support
Service is only available to Bupa members, but if a default benefit existed the hospital could offer it to all
patients who need it.

"This is real patient-centred care, where the kind of services you can access are not dictated by the private
health insurance fund you belong to. If your insurer has not contracted with a private hospital to offer day
services, you cannot access it. No contract means no cover, even if you have top level Gold policy," she
said.

She said APHA also welcomes calls by the Productivity Commission to increase the number of training
places for psychiatrists including positions in the private sector.

Level 3 /11 National Circ, Barton ACT 2600. PO Box 4502, Kingston ACT 2604. [T] 02 6273 9000 [F] 02 6273 7000
[E] [W] www.apha.org.au [FB] ValuingPrivateHospitals [Twitter] @priv8hospitals
ABN 82 008 623 809

Toowong Private Hospital's Mobile Recovery Support Service: phnews.org.au/toowong-privateoutreach-program-wins-global-prize/
Read the Productivity Commission report: www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/mental-health/draft
-ENDSMedia contact: Frith Rayner, Director Communications and Marketing, 0413 971 999

The Australian Private Hospitals Association (APHA) is the peak industry body representing the private hospital and day surgery
sector. The private hospital sector treats 4.5 million patients a year, including treatment of a third of chemotherapy, 60 percent of all
surgery, 74 percent of all elective musculoskeletal surgery and 80 percent of rehabilitation.

Level 3 /11 National Circ, Barton ACT 2600. PO Box 4502, Kingston ACT 2604. [T] 02 6273 9000 [F] 02 6273 7000
[E] [W] www.apha.org.au [FB] ValuingPrivateHospitals [Twitter] @priv8hospitals
ABN 82 008 623 809

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