2017-18 Budget a significant step forward for health

The  Federal Budget strongly demonstrates the key importance of health in Australia, the AMA (WA) said today.

“The 2017-18 Federal Budget seems to be a significant step in the right direction for health, especially with the lifting of the Medicare Freeze, even though it is disappointing that it is going to take place over three years,” AMA (WA) President Dr Andrew Miller said.

“World class health is an investment, not a cost.

“The disastrous Medicare freeze has had a substantially negative impact on General Practice in Australia and has therefore had a detrimental impact on health.

"It was a mistake to introduce it and to leave it in place this long, and although the government is wise to unwind before going to an election there is no catch up in this slow thaw," Dr Miller said. 

For more on the AMA (WA)'s reaction to the Federal Budget, please click here. 

SJOG medical practitioners vote in favour of Industrial Agreement

Medical practitioners employed by St John of God  will be covered by the SJOG – AMA (WA) – Medical Practitioners Agreement 2016 following registration with the Fair Work Commission. 

Details of the Agreement can be viewed here. Please note that this information is available to AMA (WA) members only. For assistance  in accessing the document , please contact AMA (WA) membership.

AMA List of Medical Services and Fees 1 May 2017 changes

The 1 November 2016 AMA List of Medical Services and Fees (AMA List) has been updated to reflect the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) 1 May 2017 changes. The update includes MBS changes which have occurred since 1 November.

To access the Summary of Changes - 1 May 2017 PDF and updated CSV file, enter your username and password by clicking on the 'person' symbol in the right corner of the blue task bar at the top of the AMA homepage and follow these steps.

From the home page hover over Resources at the top of the page. A drop down box will appear. Under this, select Fees List.

For the PDF and CSV - Select first option, AMA List of Medical Services and Fees - 1 November 2016 (members Only).
 

Download the CSV (for importing into practice software) or Summary of Changes PDF (for viewing).
 

For the Fees List Online Database – the database can be accessed directly via http://feeslist.ama.com.au/.

For more information, please click here. 

AMA (WA) Annual General Meeting Notice

Please note that the AMA (WA) Annual General Meeting for 2017 is scheduled as follows:

Date: Wednesday, 7 June 2017

Time:  6:00pm (pre-meeting refreshments), 6:30pm (meeting commences)

Venue: AMA (WA) Training Room, 14 Stirling Highway,  Nedlands. 

All AMA (WA) Members are welcomed to the meeting. It is anticipated the AGM will last no longer than 45 minutes.

We look forward to seeing you there and would appreciate your RSVP to Skye Connor on
9273 3028 or skye.connor@amawa.com.au to ensure we cater appropriately.

AMA Financial Services – 2017/2018 Federal Budget Summary

On Tuesday 9 May, the Federal Treasurer, The Hon. Scott Morrison MP, handed down the 2017/18 Federal Budget announcing a range of proposed changes. 

AMA Financial Services has put together a comprehensive Budget summary that outlines how these proposed budget changes may affect your financial situation.

Please be aware these are only proposals and the Budget announcements still need to be passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate before they become law.

We hope you find this information useful. If you would like to discuss the announcements and the possible implications in relation to your financial strategy, please contact us on 1800 262 346(1800 AMA FIN) or email us at advice@amafp.com.au.

AMA secures guarantees on prescribing changes

Recently there was high level reporting that a change was going to be made to generic and biosimilar policy in the Federal budget – potentially part of an agreement struck with the pharmaceutical sector. That reporting included speculation not just that prescribing software would ‘default’ to the generic medication, but that there could be mandatory prescribing included as part of the change – potentially even of biosimilars.

Federal AMA Vice President Dr Tony Bartone was quick to comment in the media on the speculated changes, highlighting that any proposed changes to increase generics and biosimilars must not remove a doctor's ability, when necessary, to choose a brand name medicine when that is most appropriate for the patient.

The AMA encourages medical practitioners to offer generic or biosimilar medicine choices when it is safe and appropriate, and to discuss these options with patients. However there are circumstances where generics may not be appropriate – such as where there may be an increased risk of medical misadventure, or when some filler constituents are contraindicated for patients.

For further details please click here.

Interim cervical screening MBS rebates and other arrangements

Doctors are being urged to encourage women to continue with their scheduled cervical cancer screening under the current National Cervical Screening Program regardless of the delay of the new program.

There are also important interim arrangements in place from 1 May to 30 November to ensure MBS items for cervical screening continue until the new program begins on 1 December 2017.

For details, please click here. 

Mosquito warning for travellers up north

The Department of Health is reminding travellers heading north, and residents of northern WA, to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

The warning follows continued evidence of Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) and Kunjin virus activity in sentinel chicken flocks across the Kimberley and Pilbara regions.

Three suspected human cases of Kunjin virus disease have recently been detected across both regions, which if confirmed will be the first human cases of the disease in WA since 2006.

For more information, please click here. 

Recall for homeopathic teething tablets

Consumers and health professionals are advised that Kadac, in consultation with the TGA, is recalling all batches of Hyland's Baby teething tablets and Hyland's Baby nighttime teething tablets.

Hyland's homeopathic teething tablets are complementary medicines marketed to provide temporary relief of teething symptoms in children.

This recall is being undertaken following an investigation by the United States Food and Drug Administration that products supplied in the US contained inconsistent amounts of belladonna alkaloids, a toxic substance, which may differ from the calculated amounts listed on the products' labels.

For further details, please click here. 

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