Message from the MBS Review Taskforce Chair

Welcometothesecondissue oftheMedicareBenefitsSchedule(MBS)ReviewNewsletter.

Overthe pastseveral weeksIhavehad theopportunitytohearfromawidevarietyof people attending ourstakeholderforums.Don’tmissyouropportunity tocontributeto theReviewthroughtheonlinesurvey.Itcloses onMonday9November.

Untilournextupdate,ifyouhaveanyquestionsorrequirefurtherinformation,pleaseemailtheMBSReviewteam.

BruceRobinson

Stakeholder Consultation Paper and Online Survey

TheMedicareBenefitsScheduleReviewTaskforceConsultationPaperwasreleasedon27September2015.Pleasereadthepaperand completetheonlinesurveyand/ormakea submission.Theclosingdateis Monday9November2015,5pm(AEST),sogetonlinequicklyandhaveyoursay.

Accesstotheonlinesurveywillimmediatelycease, butifyouareunabletomeetthedeadlineforsubmissionsandwouldlikeanextension,pleasecontacttheMBSReviewteam.

Morethan1,000peoplehavecompletedtheonlinesurvey.

StakeholderEngagement

Thankyoutothosemedical colleges andotherorganisationswhichhavebeenforwardingthenewsletterto theirmembersandotherinterestedparties.Youcanalsoshareyournewsletterswithus.

StakeholderconsultationforumswererecentlyheldinMelbourne(27October2015)and Sydney(3November2015).UnfortunatelytheforumproposedforCairnswascancelled duetothelownumberofregistrations.

Moreforumswillbeheldin2016.Please keepcheckingthewebsitefordatesand locations.Theywillalsobeannouncedviathenewsletter.

Chair of the Taskforce, Bruce Robinson, at the stakeholder consultation forum in Melbourne

Theforumsaddressedarangeofissuesincluding:

  • BackgroundtotheMBSReview
  • Overviewofapproachandstatus
  • Insightsfromthepilotreviews
  • Discussionandfeedbackonfocus todate
  • Whichcross-committeeissuesshouldtheReviewconsider?
  • WhichissueswithspecificitemsshouldtheClinicalCommitteesexamine?
  • OpenQA
  • Wrap-upandopportunitiesforfurtherinput

Asummarymemorandum,thepresentationslides,andpre-readingmaterial(forthosewhocouldnotattend)fromtheforums willbepublishedshortly.

Onbehalfof theTaskforce,theConsumersHealthForumalsofacilitatedaconsumerspecificworkshopinSydney (26October 2015).

Clinical Committees

AlargenumberofnominationshavebeenreceivedformembershiptotheClinical Committees.Weappreciateyourinterestinassisting withthereviewofMBSitems. MostClinicalCommittees willbeestablishedin2016,andtheTaskforcehasyettofinalise thetiming andmembershipofthesecommittees.

AlistofthemembersoftheClinicalCommitteesthathavebeenestablishedandheld theirfirstmeetingscanbefoundattheendofthisNewsletter.There willbefurtherpublicconsultationabout therecommendationsfromtheClinicalCommittees.

RecentmediaabouttheMBSReview

TheMinisterforHealthSussanLeyhasbeendiscussing theworkoftheReviewwiththemediathepastseveralmonths.Belowaresomeitemsthatmaybeofinteresttoyou.

ABCLateline–Interview–2October2015

ABCTheDrum–‘It'stimetofixourhealthcaresystemfordoctorsandpatients’– 29September2015

MediaRelease–‘FourCornersasoberinginsightinto whyMedicareReviewnecessary’– 29September2015

MediaRelease–‘Unnecessary,out-dated or unsafemedicalservices?Tellus aboutit!’– 27September2015

Formoreinformation

To keepup-to-date ontheimportantworkoftheMBSReviewTaskforceorformoreinformationyou canvisittheDepartmentofHealth’swebsite.Alternativelyyou can contacttheMBSReviewsUnit.

ListofthemembersoftheClinicalCommittees

Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery Clinical Committee

Name / Position/Organisation
MrPatrickGuiney(Chair) / EarNoseThroatVictoria
Member,FederalCouncil,AustralianSocietyforOtolaryngologyHeadandNeckSurgery
DeputyChair,BoardofTraining,OtolaryngologyHeadandNeck
Surgery,RoyalAustralasianCollegeofSurgeons
DrMargaret-AnneHarris / SeniorMedicalOfficer,DepartmentofRespiratoryandSleep
Medicine,Children’sHealthQueenslandHospitalandHealthService,LadyCilentoChildren’sHospital
DrJohnCurotta / Director,DepartmentofEarNoseandThroatSurgery,The
Children’sHospitalatWestmead
DrDavidWabnitz / SeniorVisitingMedicalSpecialist,DepartmentofPaediatricOtolaryngology-HeadNeckSurgery,Women’sChildren’sHealthNetwork,NorthAdelaide
Secretary,AustralianNewZealandSocietyofPaediatricOtorhinolaryngologists
DrCarmelNelson / Director,ClinicalServices,InstituteforUrbanIndigenousHealth
DrChrisDalton / NationalMedicalDirector,BupaAustraliaandNewZealand
Ear,NoseandThroatSurgeon,Privatepractice

Gastroenterology Clinical Committee

Name / Position/Organisation
AssociateProfessorAnneDuggan(Chair) / Gastroenterologist,JohnHunterHospitalNewcastle
SeniorMedicalAdvisor,AustralianCommissiononSafetyandQualityinHealthCare
DrKatherineEllard / Gastroenterologist,Privatepractice
MrJamesKeck / ClinicalDirector,ColorectalSurgery,EasternHealthMelbourne
Director,PelvicFloorPhysiology,StVincent'sHospitalMelbourneVice-President,ColorectalSurgicalSocietyofAustraliaandNewZealand
ProfessorFinlayMacrae / Professor,DepartmentofMedicine,MelbourneUniversity
Head,ColorectalMedicineandGenetics,TheRoyalMelbourneHospital
Gastroenterologist,Privatepractice
MsDi Jones / AssistantDirectorofNursing,EndoscopyServices,LoganBaysideHealthNetwork
President,SocietyofInternationalGastroenterologyEndoscopyNursesandAssociates
ProfessorJonEmery / ProfessorofGeneralPractice,UniversityofWesternAustraliaProfessorofPrimaryCareCancerResearch,UniversityofMelbourneDirector,PrimaryCareCollaborativeCancerClinicalTrialsGroup
DrPeterRadford / GeneralPractitioner,Privatepractice
Chair,EndoscopyReferenceGroup(ConjointCommitteeofTheRoyalAustralianCollegeofGeneralPractitionersAustralianCollegeofRuralandRemoteMedicine)

Obstetrics Clinical Committee

Name / Position/Organisation
ProfessorMichaelPermezel(Chair) / ConsultantObstetrician,MercyHospitalforWomenMelbourne
ProfessorofObstetricsandGynaecology,UniversityofMelbournePresident,RoyalAustralianandNewZealandCollegeofObstetriciansandGynaecologists
DrVijayRoach / ConsultantObstetricianGynaecologist,RoyalNorthShore
Hospital
Obstetrician,Privatepractice
Vice-President,RoyalAustralianandNewZealandCollegeof
ObstetriciansandGynaecologists
AssociateProfessorStephenRobson / ConsultantObstetricianGynaecologist,CanberraHospital
Obstetrician,Privatepractice
Vice-President,RoyalAustralianandNewZealandCollegeofObstetriciansandGynaecologists
AssociateProfessor,AustralianNationalUniversityPresident-Elect,AustralianMedicalAssociation(ACT)
DrLouiseSterling / GPObstetrician,Privatepractice
ProfessorLucieWalters / Professor,RuralMedicalEducation,FlindersUniversity
Obstetrician,Privatepractice(rural)
President,AustralianCollegeofRuralandRemoteMedicine
ProfessorJonathanMorris / Director,KollingInstituteforMedicalResearch,UniversityofSydney
MsElizabethWilkes / ChiefExecutiveOfficer,MidwiferyandMaternityProvider
OrganisationAustraliaMidwife,Privatepractice
DrChristineThevathasan / ConsultantObstetricianGynaecologist,SandringhamHospitalSecretary,NationalAssociationofSpecialistObstetriciansandGynaecologists
Obstetrician,Privatepractice
ProfessorElizabethSullivan / AssociateDean(Research),FacultyofHealth,Universityof
TechnologySydney
MsJulieHamblin / Lawyer,HWLEbsworth
ConsumerRepresentative

Thoracic Medicine Clinical Committee

Name / Position/Organisation
ProfessorChristineJenkins(Chair) / SeniorStaffSpecialist,ThoracicMedicine,ConcordHospital
HeadofRespiratoryTrials,TheGeorgeInstitute
ClinicalProfessorHeadofRespiratoryDiscipline,Universityof
Sydney
ProfessorMatthewPeters / HeadofRespiratoryMedicine,ConcordHospital
ProfessorofRespiratoryMedicine,FacultyofMedicineandHealthSciences,MacquarieUniversity
PastPresident,ThoracicSocietyofAustraliaandNewZealand
DrPhillipAntippa / Director,LungCancerServices,RoyalMelbourneHospital
DrRonaldTomlins / AdjunctAssociateProfessor,DisciplineofGeneralPractice,
UniversityofSydney
GeneralPractitioner,PrivatePractice
President,InternationalPrimaryCareRespiratoryGroup
DrKerryHancock / GeneralPractitioner,privatepractice
ExecutiveMember,CoordinatingCommitteeCOPDNationalProgramme,LungFoundationAustralia
Member,GPAsthmaGroup,NationalAsthmaCouncilBoardMember,AsthmaFoundationSA
AssociateProfessorHiranSelvadurai / Head,DepartmentofRespiratoryMedicine,TheChildren'sHospital,
Westmead,SydneyChildren'sHospitalNetwork
MsDebraKay / ConsumerRepresentative
SleepStudies
AssociateProfessorNickAntic / ClinicalDirector,AdelaideInstituteforSleepHealth
StaffSpecialist,SleepandRespiratoryMedicine,Repatriation
GeneralHospitalandFlindersMedicalCentreCentrePresident,AustralasianSleepAssociation
DrMareeBarnes / InstituteforBreathingandSleep,AustinHospital
IncomingPresident,AustralasianSleepAssociation
DrCraigHukins / Director,DepartmentofRespiratoryandSleepMedicine,Princess
AlexandraHospital
AssociateProfessorGarunHamilton / RespiratoryandSleepMedicinePhysician,MonashHealth
AdjunctProfessor,SchoolofClinicalSciences,MonashUniversity
DrChrisDalton / NationalMedicalDirector,BupaAustraliaandNewZealandEar,NoseandThroatSurgeon,Privatepractice

DiagnosticImagingClinicalCommittee

Name / Position/Organisation
ProfessorKenThomson(Chair) / ProgramDirector,RadiologyandNuclearMedicine,AlfredHospital
AssociateProfessorStacyGoergen / DirectorofResearch,MonashImaging
ClinicalAdjunctProfessor,SouthernClinicalSchool,MonashUniversity
ProfessorAlexanderPitman / DirectorofNuclearMedicineandPET,LakeImaging
AdjunctProfessor,MedicalImaging,UniversityofNotreDame
DrWilliamMacdonald / ExecutiveDirector,ImagingWest
Head,NuclearMedicine,FionaStanleyHospital
President,AustralasianAssociationofNuclearMedicineSpecialists
DrRichardUssher / DirectorofTraining,Radiology,BallaratHealthServices
Director,GrampiansBreastScreen
DrWalidJammal / HillsFamilyGeneralPractice
ClinicalLecturer,FacultyofMedicine,UniversityofSydney ConjointSeniorLecturer,SchoolofMedicine,UniversityofWesternSydney
Privatepractice
DrEvanAckermann / UniversityMedicalCentre,SouthernCrossUniversity
GeneralPractitioner,Privatepractice
AssociateProfessorDuncanMortimer / CentreforHealthEconomics,MonashUniversity
DrJamesChristie / Radiologist,PRPDiagnosticImaging
ManagingPartner,NorthShorePrivateHospital
AssociateProfessorRachaelMoorin / Manager,HealthResearch,SilverChainGroup
AdjunctAssociateProfessor,CurtinUniversity
AdjunctAssociateProfessor,UniversityofWesternAustralia