Concerns have been raised about the impact private health insurers moving further into medical service delivery could have on the quality of care being provided to Australians.
This week Bupa announced it would be delivering a network of about 60 mental health clinics across the country, with the first one opening before the end of May.
In a statement Bupa said its Mindplace clinics would be open to all Australians, not just Bupa customers.
The insurance giant is also reportedly looking to open a network of 130 medical centres across Australia over the next three years.
Both announcements have prompted concern from the AMA (WA).
AMA (WA) President Dr Michael Page warned it could lead to “US-style managed care” and a decrease in the quality of care that people can access due to it being controlled by insurers rather than by doctors.
“We want to see preservation of medical autonomy, doctors being able to make best decisions they can in the best interest of their patients and, in principle, we see managed care as something that puts that at risk,” he said.
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Bupa Asia Pacific CEO Nick Stone said the company “intends to play a pivotal role in meeting the ballooning demand for mental health support in our community”.
“Our ambition is to work in partnership with the services already provided by the public system to ensure all Australians can access the mental health support they need,” Mr Stone said.
Bupa currently operates 22 Medical Centres in Australia, all of which have opened since 2024. According to Australian Financial Review the company aims to have a total of 130 of them operating within three years.
A Bupa spokesperson told Medical Forum said the company would always support full clinical autonomy for all medical practitioners.
“We believe in preserving the autonomy of healthcare providers and allowing them to make independent decisions is fundamentally important to deliver the best health outcomes for a patient,” they said.
“GPs are the backbone of the Australian health system and know the needs of their patients better than anyone else.
“We want to work with them to make sure they can access the technologies and innovations available, including digital tools, to help them thrive and offer the best possible patient care.”
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Bupa is one of Australia’s largest providers of private health insurance and its move into service delivery comes amid concerns about the future viability of private health services.
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In December the Federal Government announced the establishment of the Private Health Chief Executive Officer Forum to identify and develop short and medium-term options to support the sector’s long-term sustainability.
Health Minister Mark Butler has said the private hospital sector is facing a number of challenges.
“Largely because of private pressures in the system that can only be managed by hospitals and insurers sitting down together and sorting it out.”
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