Coronavirus | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
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Coronavirus

Baloo

Delisted Free Agent
Nov 8, 2005
44,113
18,924
@Sintiger, Australia is close to leading the world in COVID infections/deaths right now but there is sweet fa being said about it. How are the hospitals coping? Still under stress or are we letting the unvaxxed die at home?
 

DavidSSS

Tiger Legend
Dec 11, 2017
10,523
17,875
Melbourne
You do see a few reports that the hospitals are under a lot of stress. Seems to be not huge numbers in ICU and ventilated but the infection numbers are high and the impression I get, from the occasional comments you hear on 7.30 or read in the newspaper, is that the health system is still under a lot of stress.

Not being mentioned because of the election I figure, maybe more will come out in a week's time.

DS
 
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Sintiger

Tiger Legend
Aug 11, 2010
18,201
17,596
Camberwell
@Sintiger, Australia is close to leading the world in COVID infections/deaths right now but there is sweet fa being said about it. How are the hospitals coping? Still under stress or are we letting the unvaxxed die at home?
Massive stress. Hospitalisation and ICU levels have been higher in the past but it is constant and at a level that continues to put major stress on an exhausted workforce, not just frontline staff but all support services as well. For example sick leave normally runs at around 5% in hospitals and it is at 12-13% with COVID protocols in place.

The “system” is not helping. The state government is pouring money into recovery and there is no way the hospitals will have the staff to deliver those plans. Apart from just not having the people there has to be a level of sending staff on annual leave, for their own well-being.

The nurses union is not being flexible at all on an ratios which means that sometimes beds that could be opened safely cannot because of their intransigence.

The state opposition is a big problem. They are acting as if the current issues are caused by the Andrews government and that puts pressure on them to make stupid decisions. There is a crisis but that is caused by a pandemic not by a government. It is true we had issues pre pandemic but I have worked in the system under both labor and liberal and to think those issues would have not been around under the liberals is just a fallacy. They are playing politics with health and it is very damaging and actually reckless imo.

What we need is long term planning of service capacity. Not just physical capacity but workforce which includes right back to universities and the medical specialist colleges as well as the commonwealth. Medicare has to offer more incentives to GPs so that bulk billing clinics can survive and doctors get attracted to primary care.

Right now the whole system is just trying to survive but it seems never ending
 
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DavidSSS

Tiger Legend
Dec 11, 2017
10,523
17,875
Melbourne
What we need is long term planning of service capacity. Not just physical capacity but workforce which includes right back to universities and the medical specialist colleges as well as the commonwealth. Medicare has to offer more incentives to GPs so that bulk billing clinics can survive and doctors get attracted to primary care.

Just to pick up on this point, we need to stop the lies being told about the proportion of GP visits which are really bulk billed. We constantly get distorted numbers on this and it does not good.

The whole health system needs some serious thought into how it can be better organised and properly funded.

The COVID pandemic has highlighted this but unfortunately I see little evidence any politicians are learning.

DS
 

Sintiger

Tiger Legend
Aug 11, 2010
18,201
17,596
Camberwell
Just to pick up on this point, we need to stop the lies being told about the proportion of GP visits which are really bulk billed. We constantly get distorted numbers on this and it does not good.

The whole health system needs some serious thought into how it can be better organised and properly funded.

The COVID pandemic has highlighted this but unfortunately I see little evidence any politicians are learning.

DS
Yes I am not sure where the commonwealth gets that information from to be honest. If any Medicare card holder goes to a GP then Medicare will have a record of the visit and that they have paid the rate as designated by the item number either to the clinic or as a reimbursement to the individual patient.However I have no idea how they would know if the clinic had charged the patient a co-payment or not?

Maybe they collect that information but if they do it would be survey data because they wouldn’t know from the claims data they get because the co-payment is a transaction between the patient and the clinic.

According to the College of GPs and the AMA the standard consultation rate needs to be $56 and it is currently $39.10. I am not sure whether that number is right or wrong but I am sure $39.10 is not enough.
 

DavidSSS

Tiger Legend
Dec 11, 2017
10,523
17,875
Melbourne
Yes I am not sure where the commonwealth gets that information from to be honest. If any Medicare card holder goes to a GP then Medicare will have a record of the visit and that they have paid the rate as designated by the item number either to the clinic or as a reimbursement to the individual patient.However I have no idea how they would know if the clinic had charged the patient a co-payment or not?

Maybe they collect that information but if they do it would be survey data because they wouldn’t know from the claims data they get because the co-payment is a transaction between the patient and the clinic.

According to the College of GPs and the AMA the standard consultation rate needs to be $56 and it is currently $39.10. I am not sure whether that number is right or wrong but I am sure $39.10 is not enough.

I saw an article about this, apparently something to do with a co-payment. The doctor bulk bills Medicare, the patient also makes a co-payment. While the government can find the info about co-payments, they don't, because it makes the bulk billing numbers artificially high.

It has been clear for years that the payment to GPs is too low but they won't fix it. Has a lot to do with the current government wanting Medicare to effectively be a welfare system which is only provided to means tested recipients rather than a universal health system which is what Medicare is supposed to be.

DS
 
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Sintiger

Tiger Legend
Aug 11, 2010
18,201
17,596
Camberwell
I saw an article about this, apparently something to do with a co-payment. The doctor bulk bills Medicare, the patient also makes a co-payment. While the government can find the info about co-payments, they don't, because it makes the bulk billing numbers artificially high.

It has been clear for years that the payment to GPs is too low but they won't fix it. Has a lot to do with the current government wanting Medicare to effectively be a welfare system which is only provided to means tested recipients rather than a universal health system which is what Medicare is supposed to be.

DS
The Libs see Medicare as a safety net.
 
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RoarEmotion

Tiger Champion
Aug 20, 2005
4,939
6,451
Personally I’m Out with health and safety protocols for dream time. General fatigue / muscle soreness for me. Daughter as well who is coughing a lot. Son keeps testing negative so going back to his mother.

All vaccinated and no IVM in the house.
 
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Redford

Tiger Legend
Dec 18, 2002
34,360
26,207
Tel Aviv
CDC now recommending everyone over 50 gets a second booster. This is in addition to those over 65. Data showing the need after big increases in infections, new strains etc. and vax effectiveness dropping off after 4 months. Number of boosted 50+ getting sick is on the increase.

Crickets in Australia.

Plaxlovid being dispensed in the USA en masse for infected individuals with co morbidities over age 50. Seems to be very effective.

Again, crickets in Australia in respect of Plaxlovid supplies and a completely stuffed roll out with what stocks we do have available to use on high risk people as well. GP’s etc saying it’s a disaster.

Sooner we get rid of this **** government the better.
 
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larabee

Tiger Champion
Jun 11, 2010
3,693
5,431
Tigerland
CDC now recommending everyone over 50 gets a second booster. This is in addition to those over 65. Data showing the need after big increases in infections, new strains etc. and vax effectiveness dropping off after 4 months. Number of boosted 50+ getting sick is on the increase.

Crickets in Australia.

Plaxlovid being dispensed in the USA en masse for infected individuals with co morbidities over age 50. Seems to be very effective.

Again, crickets in Australia in respect of Plaxlovid supplies and a completely stuffed roll out with what stocks we do have available to use on high risk people as well. GP’s etc saying it’s a disaster.

Sooner we get rid of this **** government the better.
Hang on, didn’t Slomo say recently that he “saved Australia”?
He didn’t lie did he?
 
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bigwow

Tiger Legend
Jul 24, 2003
8,448
6,037
Melbourne
CDC now recommending everyone over 50 gets a second booster. This is in addition to those over 65. Data showing the need after big increases in infections, new strains etc. and vax effectiveness dropping off after 4 months. Number of boosted 50+ getting sick is on the increase.

Crickets in Australia.

Plaxlovid being dispensed in the USA en masse for infected individuals with co morbidities over age 50. Seems to be very effective.

Again, crickets in Australia in respect of Plaxlovid supplies and a completely stuffed roll out with what stocks we do have available to use on high risk people as well. GP’s etc saying it’s a disaster.

Sooner we get rid of this **** government the better.
 

Redford

Tiger Legend
Dec 18, 2002
34,360
26,207
Tel Aviv
Yeah. I know its been on the PBS for a while, but nobody (esp high risk people) know about its existence coz there's been no information released, and therefore nobody also knows who qualifies for it, how to get access to it, what stocks there are and where etc etc. This includes GP's.

Just like the vax acquisition, another bungled Dud-mo fiasco.

 
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AngryAnt

Tiger Legend
Nov 25, 2004
27,017
14,792
Hey @lamb22 , ever going to show your face in here again? You owe me about a million apologies for your ivermectin related insults. That's OK, I forgive you. It's hard to admit mistakes but it's good for your personal growth.

Meanwhile, Good News - Jesus used Ivermectin according to this doctor.