Media releases

The Consumers Health Forum welcomes Labor’s $2.4 billion Pensioner Dental Plan for aged pensioners and Commonwealth senior card holders. “We welcome the access this plan will deliver to many Australians who presently struggle to access basic dental health care check-ups let alone more advanced...

The Greens’ call for emphatic health reforms in prevention, funding, chronic care and dental care, present rational options to improve a health system that is currently captive to old ways, the Consumers Health Forum said today. “Most health analysts would agree that many of the reforms suggested...

The Federal election has begun with a welcome focus on health, yet there is much more Australia could do differently to achieve better health for all. The Consumers Health Forum has called for the next Federal Government to take early action on three health priorities to set 21st century health...

The Consumers Health Forum welcomes Labor’s $10 million plan to support the long-awaited development of an informed financial consent standard to ensure patients are given clear and consistent information about the costs and options of their treatment. Labor says a national standard would help...

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the Consumers Health Forum (CHF) have joined forces to call on the Federal Government to rethink its decision to put a hold on plans that would enable patients to collect two months of scripts in a single visit to a pharmacy, after successful lobbying by the Pharmacy Guild. “This policy reversal takes little heed of PBS and the expert, multidisciplinary advice of the PBAC and is counter to undertakings from both sides of politics that PBAC advice will be acted on, Ms Wells said.

The Consumers Health Forum supports the Uluru Statement from the Heart and appeals to the next Parliament to take effective steps towards constitutional change to acknowledge the place of the First Nations peoples in Australia and their right to a Voice in the Parliament. “Surely after more than...

The Labor pledge to introduce a $2.3 billion Medicare boost for cancer care is a tremendous response to what has become a heart-wrenching dilemma for too many Australians: high out of pocket costs for cancer treatment. “The big increase in funding for diagnostic imaging, oncology, surgery and...

Older Australians will be able to enter an agreement with their GP to enable more personalised and coordinated care under a significant change announced in the Budget. Under the new $448 million primary care scheme for patients over 70, general practices will receive additional payment for doctors...

Improved access to scripts is vital to better health and the Consumers Health Forum is concerned at reports that the government has put on hold plans to ease access to medicines. “We are disturbed by reports in today’s Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian of a hold on plans that would enable...

Political leaders must embrace the need for changes and investment in our health system to create a consumer-centred and equitable 21st century health system. What is the right level of investment? Is prevention adequately considered currently? What impact will the rising levels of obesity and...