Budget 2015: ACT losing out on health funding, Health Minister says
Figures in the federal budget papers confirms the ACT will lose out on health funding from 2017, the Territory’s Health Minister, Simon Corbell, says.
Mr Corbell said the change from National Health Reform funding to population-based health funding from 2017-18 would rip hundreds of millions of dollars from the ACT budget.
He said the ACT was the only state or territory to receive less Commonwealth funding in 2017-18 than in 2014-15.
Budget papers show the ACT will get $327 million in health funding next financial year and $347 million in 2016-17.
But that figure will drop to $299 million in 2017-18 – about $14 million less than what was allocated for that year in the Mid-year Economic and Fiscal Outlook for 2014-15.
“In the long term, the budget confirms that the damage done in last year’s budget remains,” Mr Corbell said.
Over 10 years the ACT will be $600 million worse off under population-based health funding, according to ACT Government modelling.
The shift to population-based health funding from 2017-18 was announced last year.
“The Commonwealth has failed to undo the damage from last year’s budget that saw them tear up the National Health Reform Agreement,” Mr Corbell said.
“This failure to properly fund their share of hospital and health services will only put further pressure on our health system, which will continue to experience growth over the coming years.
“I will continue to push for a fair funding deal with my state and territory counterparts at the upcoming COAG health council.”
Mr Corbell said the ACT would also lose nearly a $1 million next year in Commonwealth Dental Funding and $250,000 of Indigenous Early Childhood Development funding.