Catholic Health Australia has released a position paper calling on the Commonwealth Government to extend default benefits to Hospital in the Home care, with benefit rates set at a defined relationship to the standard hospital bed day rate.
Default benefits – which set the minimum amount insurers must pay for a treatment – do not apply to Hospital in the Home (HITH), leaving many patients who want home-based care unable to access it.
“Hospital in the home is safe, effective, and loved by patients but without a default benefit in place, many Australians simply can’t access it,” Katharine Bassett, interim chief executive officer of Catholic Health Australia, said.
“Extending default benefits to HITH would give hospitals the confidence to invest in the innovative models that patients are asking for while easing pressure on hospitals as demand soars due to population aging,” Dr Bassett said.
The position paper has been formally endorsed by the Hospital in the Home Society Australasia, following extensive engagement. It also draws on a co–design process undertaken by CHA and Bupa to identify the key reforms needed to make HITH a mainstream option for privately insured patients.
The paper comes as the government prepares a consultation on private health sector reforms.
Research on HITH consistently shows lower readmission rates, shorter stays, reduced 30-day mortality, and patient satisfaction above 80 per cent.
An independent review has found HITH comparable to in-hospital care on clinical outcomes and self–reported health status, while a report by Private Health Australia estimated that expanding out-of-hospital services could generate up to $1.3 billion in annual savings across the system.
Polling commissioned by CHA found that 82 per cent of Australians would consider HITH if it were offered by their private hospital.
“While other developed nations such as Canada and the UK are soaring ahead with HITH, Australia is stuck in the past due to our outdated regulations. Our proposal would fix that,” Dr Bassett said.
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CHA position paper calls for default benefit for Hospital in the home (CHA)
