The nations peak body for Australian healthcare consumers has welcomed the Draft Report released this week by the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Mental Health. Leanne Wells, CEO of the Consumers Health Forum of Australia said the wide-sweeping report is detailed and thoughtful, with...

The story of neglect and harm detailed in the Interim Report from the Royal Commission into Safety and Quality in Aged Care leaves the Government no choice but to take immediate remedial action the Consumers Health Forum said today. “Everyone who reads the report will be shocked at the scale of the...

Any move to extend private health insurance to cover GPs would hit the foundations of Medicare and seriously erode the universal access to primary health care valued by all Australians, the Consumers Health Forum said today. A report today that health funds are advocating extending private cover to...

Thousands of older Australians should not have to wait another 12 months to receive safe and quality care as is likely under present plans, the Consumers Health Forum said today. “There is no question that our aged care system requires urgent attention,” the CEO of Consumers Health Forum, Leanne...

Australians with chronic conditions and complex needs are less activated than their healthier counterparts which may be a contributing factor to their generally worse health outcomes a Consumers Health Forum study has found. “In October – Health Literacy Month – these findings highlight how...

The question of any further taxpayer help for private health funds requires a searching inquiry into the cost benefits of such subsidies for the whole health system, the Consumers Health Forum said today. “Many billions of taxpayer dollars have been spent on private insurance, yet we are now...

…there seemed to be no way out. I was sick and couldn’t afford to get better. I’m a victim of sexual assault resulting in a diagnosed anxiety disorder and depression. I couldn’t afford the gap payment for counselling services. A skin infection got totally out of control. I did not have the cash to...

The Consumers Health Forum of Australia recognises that climate change represents an immense threat to our health and today announces it has joined the Climate and Health Alliance. As Australia’s leading advocacy organisation on consumer health issues, the Consumers Health Forum believes it is...

New figures showing that Australians are spending more than ever in health costs highlights the need for more Government action to remedy the crippling out of pocket costs many patients face, the Consumers Health Forum says. Latest official figures show that health spending by individuals has grown...

Health fund numbers have fallen again to their lowest level in 12 years, making more important than ever the need for a more consumer-focused approach, the Consumers Health Forum said today. “The continued decline in the number of Australians taking up private cover comes despite the introduction...