| Publication: | news.com.au |
|---|---|
| Date: | 20 April 2010 |
| Section: | Money & Me |
By Malcolm Farr
Article excerpt:
YESTERDAY'S historic health deal will finally make the Federal Government, rather than the states, the major funder of public hospitals. At the moment, the Federal Government provides about 35 per cent of hospital funding and the states most of the remainder.
But on July 1 the new funding agreement will be ushered in, funnelling federal funds into state healthcare systems. The GST revenue paid to the states is increasing by only about 8 per cent a year.
What's the deal
- THE Federal Government will assume 60 per cent of funding responsibility for public hospitals;
- IT WILL take back one-third of GST revenue and invest it directly in health programs and hospitals rather than the current arrangement of paying this revenue to state and territory governments;
What is promised under the scheme
- A TOTAL of 1300 new sub-acute hospital beds;
- REDUCING emergency waiting times to no longer than four hours;
- DELIVERING elective surgery on time in 95 per cent of cases;
