February 2012 News

National health fund provider Australian Unity has spoken out against the federal government's decision to means test the private health insurance rebate.

According to chief executive officer of healthcare Amanda Hagan, the effect of the legislation on lower income earners and those with a chronic disease has been underestimated.

The federal government has been told that it will need between $8.4 billion and $14.4 billion over four years to establish a national dental health scheme.

The report - commissioned by the government and released on February 27 by the National Advisory Council on Dental Health - has revealed that with the oral health of Australians worsening, $400 million would be needed in the next financial year alone.

The council also found that almost 400,000 Australians are currently waiting 27 months on average to access public dental health services.

New research has found that women are more likely to have a heart attack, with chest pain cited as the most common warning sign.

According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 40 per cent of women arrived at hospital without chest pain, which is 10 per cent more than the number of men.

One of Australia's largest private health providers has used its half-yearly report to criticise the federal government's decision to means test the private health insurance rebate.

Ramsay Health Care released its latest financial results yesterday (February 23) and despite the positive growth, managing director Christopher Rex believes the "disappointing" policy will eventually have an impact on the hospital operator.