About Policy Submissions

We regularly make submissions to national level inquiries. If you are after a submission from earlier than listed here, please contact us.

18 May 2018 — Submission

Senate Inquiry into the Accessibiltiy and quality of mental health service in rural and remote Australia

CHF believe all Australians, no matter their location, should have access to safe, good quality and timely health care. Rates of mental health conditions and suicide are much higher in rural and remote areas. Yet, unfortunately we find the mental health workforce unevenly distributed across...

19 March 2018 — Submission

CHF Submission on Prescribing Strong Opioids

Consumers Health Forum

Presenting options for regulatory reforms to make a positive contribution to reducing the misuse and abuse of strong opioids and contributing to better pain management for consumers. 

2 March 2018 — Submission

Follow-up to 23 Feb 18 workshop on the Development of a Framework for the Secondary Uses of My Health Record Systems Data

This workshop was the last scheduled opportunity for stakeholders to provide feedback before the Department of Health releases the final document to the public. We appreciate being able to submit this follow-up letter to provide more detail on some of the statements we made at the workshop and...

22 December 2017 — Submission

Submission to the TGA on Proposed regulatory changes related to personalised and 3D printed medical devices

Consumers Health Forum

We welcome the opportunity to make this submission in response to the consultation paper on proposed regulatory changes related to personalised and 3D printed medical devices released by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in November 2017.

New manufacturing technologies present...

19 December 2017 — Submission

2018-19 Budget Submission

The Consumers Health Forum in this 2018-19 Budget submission urges the Government to ensure the health system is consumer centred: providing care which is accessible, affordable and for whole-of-person needs.
We acknowledge the commitment from the Government to developing and delivering on...

20 November 2017 — Submission

Development of a Framework for Secondary use of My Health Record Data

Consumers Health Forum

CHF supports evidence-based policy setting and believes the MHR data set represents a rich national data set that can be de-identified, aggregated and made available for analysis. Its use and application to research in the public interest should be balanced with security and privacy safeguards...

13 October 2017 — Submission

CHF Response to the Independent Review of Accreditation Systems

Consumers Health Forum

CHF’s submission to the draft report of the Review of Accreditation Systems within the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme has called for greater interprofessional collaboration, training in settings other than hospitals and the need to improve efficiency, consistency and commonality...

18 September 2017 — Submission

Options to reduce pressure on private health insurance premiums by addressing the growth of private patients in public hospitals discussion paper

Consumers Health Forum

First and foremost, we would like to remind the government and policy makers that consumers, the people who use the health system and for whom it was created, should be at the centre of all of decisions. As advocates for consumers, who do not have a financial stake in this, we offer suggestions...

11 September 2017 — Submission

Submission to the Independent Review of Health Providers' Access to Medicare Card Numbers

Consumers Health Forum
This is a response to the discussion paper released 18 August 2017. CHF agrees with the Discussion Paper that there is a balance to be struck between security protections surrounding health professionals’ access to patients’ Medicare card numbers to avoid unauthorised, inappropriate or fraudulent use, and timely access to Medicare benefits for patients who are unable to present their Medicare card at the time of service.
31 July 2017 — Submission

Submission to the Senate Inquiry into Value and Affordability of Private Health Insurance and Out-of-Pocket Medical Costs

Consumers Health Forum
Australian consumers find that Private Health Insurance (PHI) is increasingly unaffordable, confusing and are unsure about the value that it provides. Despite considerable government investment in the PHI industry, there is yet to be conclusive evidence that this investment is providing sufficient returns. We are concerned that government outlays in this area continues to increase, not decrease, despite this question of value not having been well established. Because of this, reforms to PHI must centre around two key questions – how can PHI provide better value for the taxpayer, and how can it provide better value to consumers? Our submission explores the terms of reference and the key issues for consumers in light of these questions.

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