The Victorian Health Policy and Funding Guidelines - Essay Example

Introduction The Victorian health policy and funding guidelines (VHPFG) is a Victorian Government (henceforth, ‘the government’) publication developed and published and by the Department of Health of the State of Victoria. As the government is responsible for ensuring and maintaining the status of its citizens as healthy, they have taken the necessary steps toward guaranteeing that this responsibility is well fulfilled. Drawing from information from the Department of Health from previous years, the VHPFG seriously considers how the health needs of Victorians can be most appropriately met. The guidelines therefore detail the ways in which the government proposes that this be achieved (Health.vic.gov.au, 2014). The Victorian health policy and funding guidelines (‘the guidelines’, henceforth) articulates the basic financial structure within which entities which receive their funding from the department of the delivery of services operate, and their performance. In the guidelines, these are used as the reference for funded organizations with respect to the parameters within which they are expected to operate, and the funding related to different services, all with the aim of achieving the outcomes expected by the government (Health.vic.gov.au, 2014). The guidelines have been divided into three parts, each part dealing with an aspect of the policies and strategies. The three parts are briefly as follows: Part one: key changes and new initiatives – details the major changes in terms of programs or policies to be implemented in the 2013-2014 financial year. In addition it gives an overview of the 2013-2014 health budget as well as its areas of focus. Part two: Health operations – enunciates the policies applying to funded organizations. It also outlines specific information on funding and reporting requirements, as well as compliance and accountability. Part three: technical guidelines – explains the technical aspects of health service funding models and payment rates (Victorian health policy and funding guidelines 2013–14 - Part one, p.3). This paper will discuss the Victorian health policy and funding guidelines explaining the role of the Victorian Government in health service delivery to the community, and the responsibility of the Department of Health (henceforth, ‘the department) in ensuring that the services rendered by healthcare providers are funded. It will also contain a discussion section from which conclusions and recommendations will be drawn. The Analysis of the Guidelines Victoria’s government carries the burden of seeing to it that its citizens are in good health, and that they are kept that way. In this spirit, the government states its health goals for its citizens in the guidelines as underpinned in what is known as the Victorian Health Priorities Framework 2012–2022. These goals are stated specifically as follows in the Rural and Regional Health Outcomes, and are set out to be achieved by the health system by the year 2022: The health status of Victorians is at its optimal level; self-health-management among Victorians is improved; Victorians benefit from healthcare outcomes that are as good as they can possibly get; In terms of cost, effective healthcare is cost-effective and so are the settings under which its delivery occurs; and the performance of the health system is upgraded to a highly productive status and that its services are affordable as well as cost-effective (Victorian health policy and funding guidelines 2013–14 - Part one, p.5). The department has shown its commitment to improving the experience of patients while under healthcare within its facilities in 2013-2014. It has set out certain reforms in terms of programs and policies in the guidelines to ensure that care is not only timely and well-coordinated, but also that patients are better informed about their health. These reforms consider vulnerable groups and target their efforts in a responsive, gender and culturally appropriate manner. Through risk management and health promotion, the department attempts to anticipate the population’s health needs (Victorian health policy and funding guidelines 2013–14 - Part one, p.31). In matters of health service delivery, the government plays the key role of providing the funds. The government is responsible for ensuring that its budget allocates an appropriate sum of money to all departments, including the Department of Health Services (Victorian health policy and funding guidelines 2013–14 - Part one, p.5). In the ministers’ foreword, the government recognizes its role in ensuring that funds are allocated in a responsible manner to the Victorian health system. It states that the 2013-2014 budget will increase to $14.3 billion, which is especially important because the Commonwealth Government, based on misleading information that the Victorian population reduced by 11,000 in 2011, will cut down its funding to the health system by $368 million over the next three years (Victorian health policy and funding guidelines 2013–14 - Part one, p.1). The 2013-2014 state budget ensures that funding considers high priority services while still planning for the future of the health system. This is despite the increasing pressures on the health system and government indirectly due to increasing demands and ageing population, and national pressures impacting the Victorian economy calling for more efficient funding by the state government. The government however, demonstrates its commitment to health service delivery in Victoria by delivering the necessary whole-of-system reforms in order to keep service delivery efficient and sustainable for the benefit of all Victorians. Such reforms include the expansion of the Health Purchasing Victoria operations, and the competitive elective surgery funding initiative which should continue support for improved good purchasing and services. This should help increase competition and build collaboration in the health system in the private and public sectors (Victorian health policy and funding guidelines 2013–14 - Part one, p.1). While part one overviews the structure and purpose of the guidelines, part two and three hold the details. Part two contains budget tables, price tables, activity target tables, and the specifications of data collection. The programs and policies regulating the disbursement of funds are regularly reviewed by the department, and new initiatives are continually set in place to ensure that the implementation of the Victorian Health Priorities Framework 2012–2022 is supported. Health care providers in funded organizations are in turn kept accountable by the department. They are expected to report how they are spending, and comply with the regulations put in place (Victorian health policy and funding guidelines 2013–14 - Part two). Part two also summarizes the different mechanisms used to fund organizations. Depending on the nature of services delivered, different funding models are used. Health services are expected to make sure that their operations are compliant with the government’s obligations under various commonwealth-state agreements such as the National Healthcare Agreement. This agreement ensures that individual jurisdictions’ performances are measured against annual outcomes by the Council of Australian Governments Reform Council. Through performance indicators and benchmarks, healthcare performance in Victoria is kept at same level with what is expected at the national level (Council of Australian Governments, 2012; Victorian health policy and funding guidelines 2013–14 - Part two, p.58). Part three details the technical parts of the funding process. A casemix funding model is used in the distribution of funds. In this model funds are allocated based on the casemix of a hospital, which commonly means the numbers and types of patients that the hospital usually treats. Victoria's casemix funding model allocates funding on the basis of the numbers and types of patients treated, and the average cost of treating patients. The hospitals are also expected to report on all their operational costs, and as part of good hospital management practice, they are required to keep costing and activity systems (Victorian health policy and funding guidelines 2013–14 - Part three, p.8). Discussion According to the current National Health Information Agreement (NHIA), the guidelines are in line with its objectives. It promotes the timely and effective collection and processing, and appropriate/effective use of health information in accordance with standards and protocols that have been agreed upon nationally. The information it contains is accurate and reliable. The guidelines also help with the fulfillment of objectives of the NHIA such as to “provide the information required to facilitate nationally agreed projects which promote the development and reform of the health care system in accordance with the priorities of the Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council” (Meteor.aihw.gov.au, 2014). A comparison table of the 2012-13 versus the 2013-14modeled budgets lies in part one. It shows that the budget for 2013-14 has increased to 10,192,933 from the previous financial year’s 9,623,848. This shows an attempt by the government to better health services through increased funding. The sources of the funding are however not solely the government but also include providers such as Small Rural Health Services, non-governmental organizations, health consortiums, community Health Centers among others. However, whether or not the 2013-14 funds will be enough will be a test of time. Closures of some aged care facilities have already happened in areas like Kyneton and Koroit among others according to a media release issued by the Victoria branch of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) (Anmfvic.asn.au, 2014; Victorian health policy and funding guidelines 2013–14 - Part one, p.39). Conclusion On the one hand, the government is responsible for ensuring service delivery to the community through funding, planning, regulation of health service activities and their providers, and development of policies. On the other hand, the department is responsible for ensuring that organizations receive their due funding, the prerequisites for funding, and the obligations of organizations upon reception of funding. In summation, the guidelines are very important for health information managers. They provide a source of fundamental health information, and can be used to keep all parties involved therein (the government, the department, and funded organizations) accountable. They also ensure that the health of Victorians is prioritized, and provides appropriate plans and strategies for achieving this. References Anmfvic.asn.au, (2014). Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Victorian Branch): News: Statement in response to Minister David Davis claims. [online] Available at: http://anmfvic.asn.au/news/44488/printversion/44488.html [Accessed 14 May. 2014]. Council of Australian Governments, (2012). National Healthcare Agreement. Melbourne. Health.vic.gov.au, (2014). Victorian health policy and funding guidelines 2013-14 - Department of Health, Victoria, Australia. [online] Available at: http://www.health.vic.gov.au/pfg/ [Accessed 11 May. 2014]. Meteor.aihw.gov.au, (2014). National Health Information Agreement. [online] Available at: http://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/182135 [Accessed 14 May. 2014]. State of Victoria, Department of Health, (2013). Victorian health policy and funding guidelines 2013–14 - Part one:Key changes and new initiatives. Melbourne: Victorian Government, 50 Lonsdale Street. State of Victoria, Department of Health, (2013). Victorian health policy and funding guidelines 2013–14 - Part two: Health operations. Melbourne: Victorian Government, 50 Lonsdale Street. State of Victoria, Department of Health, (2013).Victorian health policy and funding guidelines 2013–14 - Part three: Technical guidelines. Melbourne: Victorian Government, 50 Lonsdale Street. Read More