Why not deter public hospitals from admitting private patients?
In 2007-08 there were 12,193 patients with private health insurance admitted to Tasmanian public hospitals – an increase of 12.8% on the previous year. On an average day, 115 patients with private health insurance occupy beds in Tasmanian public hospitals. Under Australian Health Care Agreements, a public hospital cannot turn away a patient with private health insurance if that patient seeks treatment in a public hospital. In the two years while this policy is in operation, the Liberals will look at hospital demand strategies in other States where they have been successful in actively encouraging private patients back into the private hospital system. Isn’t Labor using the private hospital system already? Yes, but only to a limited extent. The Government is funding 1,002 cataract operations by increasing the volume of surgery contracted through private hospitals. If it was implementing this policy already, why are there still 4,000 Tasmanians waiting longer than clinically-recommended.
