Proposed medicare support for incontinent

A pre-budget submission to introduce a specific Medicare item for continence physiotherapy will prevent the unnecessary “silent suffering” of those who are incontinent.

Incontinence is a physically and psychologically debilitating condition that affects nearly 4.6 million Australians. The figure is expected to rise to more than 6.4 million by 2030.

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) made the submission, with APA president, Marcus Dripps, stating a continence management program funded through the Medicare Benefits Scheme may be an “avenue of help”.

“People with incontinence invariably suffer unnecessarily in silence. The condition significantly impacts on an individual’s quality of life, causing them to withdraw from participation in their work and communities,” Mr Dripps says.

There are no specific Medicare items for continence physiotherapy as yet and only limited ways in which patients can access public funds for this type of treatment.

The APA believes while some patients will ultimately require surgical intervention, from a cost perspective, physiotherapy should be the first line of treatment as many will respond and therefore not require surgery. 

An Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health study has shown physiotherapy techniques can help up to 84% of women suffering from stress urinary incontinence (SUI) to achieve continence, a success rate equal to surgical techniques, without the inherent risks of surgery.

The study found that most SUI patients only needed five physiotherapy treatments on average to effectively alleviate their incontinence.

Data analysis by the APA found physiotherapy treatment costs the patient about $500, while surgical management costs between $7,820 and $10,260.

“Without a specific Medicare item for physiotherapy management of continence issues, many patients end up being significantly out of pocket,” Mr Dripps says.

He adds access to timely treatment can also lead to longterm, significant savings to the Australian health system.

The APA believes the Department of Health and Ageing and Medicare should have mechanisms in place to consider the burden of disease relating to conditions, as well as the treatment efficacy and cost effectiveness of any interventions. Funding should be directed towards appropriate treatments based on these considerations.

The submission was supported by the Continence Foundation of Australia.