Telehealth has proved to be of great benefit for consumers with chronic conditions at a time of strain on health services caused by COVID-19, the Consumers Health Forum says. Many patients may be reluctant to see their doctor because of COVID-19 fears, just when it is more important than ever for...

The Consumers Health Forum welcomes the COVIDSafe tracing app as an additional key public health tool to reverse the spread of the virus in Australia. “Provided many people install COVIDSafe on their phones, the app will accelerate what is currently a manual tracing process, helping state and...

The staged return of some elective surgery next week announced today by the Prime Minister is not only great news for many patients on waiting lists but also a vindication of the cautious measures that have kept COVID-19 at bay, the Consumers Health Forum said today. “Now that the COVID surge...

Patients in need of routine care for chronic and other conditions should feel they can see the doctor and not be dissuaded by fear of COVID-19, the Consumers Health Forum said today. “We are concerned at reports by professional bodies and health services that patients are putting off seeing the...

Health funds must level with their members and give specific undertakings now to return the funds they save as a result of the COVID-19 shutdown of elective surgery, the Consumers Health Forum said today. “We welcome the commitment by health funds to reimburse windfall gains to members. Independent...

The Consumers Health Forum has joined a national COVID-19 taskforce aimed at ensuring Australians receive trusted and best possible care during the outbreak. “At a time when the public are exposed to often erroneous claims of cures, it is a great step forward that Australia has established this...

The Consumers Health Forum welcomes the agreement with governments that will assure the substantial personnel and resources of private hospitals play a big role in the fight against COVID-19. “This is a powerful addition to the ranks that we need to defeat this virus,” the CEO of the Consumers...

The expansion of telehealth services to cover all medical and many allied health consultations is a watershed advance in the fight against coronavirus, the Consumers Health Forum said today. Responding to the Federal Government’s $669 million boost to Medicare payments for telehealth services to...

Schemes announced by the big health funds to support their members during the COVID-19 crisis are welcome but lower premiums would likely be of more assistance, the Consumers Health Forum said today. BUPA and Medibank Private have announced a range of programs, including expanded benefits for some...

The demand for isolation and social distancing forced by coronavirus makes it imperative for telehealth to be supported across as many accredited health services as possible, the Consumers Health Forum said today. “We urge the Government to act on the advice of doctors, nurses and allied health...