Palliative care roundtable

The Private Health Insurance Branch of the Department of Health and Ageing has held a forum in Canberra on private health insurance and palliative care.

The roundtable forum discussed  the provision of palliative care services outside the hospital setting and their coverage under private health insurance.

The presentations outlined the demand for palliative care services outside the hospital setting and provided two working models for the provision and private health insurance coverage of these services.

The forum discussed  how the barriers to provision and coverage of palliative care services outside the hospital setting might be overcome.

There is already significant activity being undertaken in the provision of private palliative care services outside the hospital setting and the payment of private health insurance benefits for these services. Some of this activity may not always be readily apparent, particularly to consumers.

For further information on the issue, email Anne Rosenzweig, Policy Development and Implementation Section, Private Health Insurance Branch on anne.rosenzweig@health.gov.au