• Home
  • About
  • Media
  • Careers
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Library
  • Sign In

  • Become a surgeon
  • Trainees
  • Fellows
  • SIMGs
  • Research & audit

Key Information

  • About specialist surgeons
  • How do I become a surgeon?
  • Selection process and requirements
  • Admission to Fellowship
  • International surgical training
  • View all

Resources

  • eLearning courses & resources
  • College events
  • Interest groups and sections

Key Information

  • Trainee Association (RACSTA)
  • The surgical training program
  • Surgical specialties
  • Examinations
  • Training post accreditation
  • View all

Education for Trainees

  • Skills training courses
  • eLearning courses & resources
  • Professional development courses
  • Specialist training program
  • Library
  • View all

Resources

  • Training standards for surgeons
  • Surgeons wellbeing
  • College events
  • Interest groups and sections
  • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
  • View all

Key Information and resources

  • 'Find a Surgeon' & 'practice card'
  • Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
  • Reports, guidelines & publications
  • Fellowship
  • Interest groups and sections
  • View all

Fellowship Education and Training

  • eLearning courses & resources
  • Skills training courses
  • Surgeons wellbeing
  • Professional development courses
  • Library
  • View all

For supervisors, educators and trainers

  • Academy of Surgical Educators
  • Supervisor Support Hub
  • RACS skills & education centre
  • Become a mentor
  • Post-fellowship training
  • View all

Key Information

  • Pathways
  • SET as a SIMG
  • SIMG overview
  • Application process
  • SIMG assessments
  • View all

Education for SIMGs

  • eLearning courses & resources
  • Skills training courses
  • Professional development courses
  • Library

Resources

  • Surgeons wellbeing
  • Maintenance of Professional Standards
  • Contacts, guidelines and forms
  • Member benefits & services
  • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)

Key Information

  • Surgical mortality audits
  • Morbidity audits
  • Research & Evaluation, inc. ASERNIP-S
  • Laparoscopic skills training
  • Trauma Verification program
  • View all

Resources

  • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
  • My audits
  • College events
  • Interest groups and sections
  • Books & merchandise
  • View all
  • RACS login
    Sign In
  • Become a surgeon
    • Key Information

      Key Information

      • About specialist surgeons
      • How do I become a surgeon?
      • Selection process and requirements
      • Admission to Fellowship
      • International surgical training
      • View all
    • Resources

      Resources

      • eLearning courses & resources
      • College events
      • Interest groups and sections
  • Trainees
    • Key Information

      Key Information

      • Trainee Association (RACSTA)
      • The surgical training program
      • Surgical specialties
      • Examinations
      • Training post accreditation
      • View all
    • Education for Trainees

      Education for Trainees

      • Skills training courses
      • eLearning courses & resources
      • Professional development courses
      • Specialist training program
      • Library
      • View all
    • Resources

      Resources

      • Training standards for surgeons
      • Surgeons wellbeing
      • College events
      • Interest groups and sections
      • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
      • View all
  • Fellows
    • Key Information

      Key Information and resources

      • 'Find a Surgeon' & 'practice card'
      • Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
      • Reports, guidelines & publications
      • Fellowship
      • Interest groups and sections
      • View all
    • Fellowship Education and Training

      Fellowship Education and Training

      • eLearning courses & resources
      • Skills training courses
      • Surgeons wellbeing
      • Professional development courses
      • Library
      • View all
    • For Educators and Trainers

      For supervisors, educators and trainers

      • Academy of Surgical Educators
      • Supervisor Support Hub
      • RACS skills & education centre
      • Become a mentor
      • Post-fellowship training
      • View all
  • SIMGs
    • Key Information

      Key Information

      • Pathways
      • SET as a SIMG
      • SIMG overview
      • Application process
      • SIMG assessments
      • View all
    • Education for IMGs

    • Resources

      Resources

      • Surgeons wellbeing
      • Maintenance of Professional Standards
      • Contacts, guidelines and forms
      • Member benefits & services
      • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
  • Research & audit
    • Key Information

      Key Information

      • Surgical mortality audits
      • Morbidity audits
      • Research & Evaluation, inc. ASERNIP-S
      • Laparoscopic skills training
      • Trauma Verification program
      • View all
    • Resources

      Resources

      • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
      • My audits
      • College events
      • Interest groups and sections
      • Books & merchandise
      • View all
  • Home
  • About
  • Media
  • Careers
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Library
In This Section
  • Further reading
  1. HOME
  2. NEWS AND MEDIA CENTRE
  3. Fax Mentis
  4. Further reading

Further reading

Additional information from the Fax Mentis e-Newsletter.

On this page

  • Changes to the Prostheses List and the risks associated with AR-DRGs
  • RACS attends Medical Society of Papua New Guinea Medical Symposium

Changes to the Prostheses List and the risks associated with AR-DRGs

The Prostheses List, the list of medical devices such as hips and knees, pacemakers and heart valves, and ophthalmic lenses, for which insurers are required to pay a benefit when a policy holder has the relevant coverage, is changing.

The Federal Department of Health has begun informing stakeholders that they will propose the Government consider Australian revised – diagnostic reference groups (AR-DRGs) as the new model for the purchasing and reimbursement of medical devices. Private health insurers have put pressure on the Department to shift to AR-DRGs despite the Prostheses List amounting to just under 10 per cent of their benefit costs. Device prices are continuing to fall according to the latest data provided by the APRA, resulting on private health insurers paying less for medical devices over the last 12 months. In fact, some medical devices have their prices drop by over 30 per cent!

AR-DRGs benefit insurers by saving them money, while also transferring all risks associated with the case-mix away from insurers and onto hospitals. In a recent address to the MedTech industry’s annual conference Ben Harris, the policy director for Private Healthcare Australia (the insurer lobby group) admitted “there are players who would lose out from a move to DRGs”.

This might seem like an argument between insurers, medical device companies, and the department of health, but a shift to AR-DRGs would have real ramifications for Surgeons and Hospitals. AR-DRGs will group patients with similar diagnoses requiring similar hospital services together. Meaning multiple procedures will grouped into a single averaged AR-DRG price. This will see hospitals only receive enough money to cover an average medical device, leaving private patients, who have paid thousands to receive superior products, with standard products.

Surgeons conducting a procedure in which a patient needs a device that costs more than the average price (such as a revision or complex procedure) could be placed under enormous pressure to cut the cost of their procedure by using an inferior, cheaper device or to shift their patient onto the public system.

The Hon. Greg Hunt MP, Minister for Health has not yet approved the departments preferred move to an AR-DRG system saying he is still in information gathering mode. Now is the time for stakeholders, like yourself to speak up and have your opinion in this shift heard.

(Article submitted by Medical Technology Association of Australia)

RACS attends Medical Society of Papua New Guinea Medical Symposium

Our Global Health team attended the Medical Society of Papua New Guinea’s 55th Medical Symposium in Port Moresby this month, hosted by the University of Papua New Guinea (PNG). The theme of the meeting was Health Education.

The meeting was an excellent showcase of the clinical leadership which already exists and is flourishing in PNG. The future is bright with the next generation of specialists coming through, with many Fellows and RACS Global Health volunteers alike supporting continuing professional development in the country as part of RACS’ commitment to Global Health.

The surgical community in PNG has held a long-standing relationship with RACS. RACS Global Health manages the Australian Government funded PNG Clinical Support Program, which sits under the PNGAusPartnership investment in health.

Back to Fax Mentis
  • Further reading
Back To Top

  • For Patients
  • Find a surgeon

  • Home
  • About
  • Media
  • Careers
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Library
  • Sign in

  • About RACS
  • About the College of Surgeons
  • About RACS offices
  • Global Health
  • Specialty societies & affiliated organisations
  • Surgeons wellbeing
  • About Respect
  • College fees
  • Position papers
  • Policies
  • College events

  • Education
  • Skills training courses
  • Professional Development
  • eLearning courses & resources
  • Specialist Training Program

  • Become a Surgeon
  • About specialist surgeons
  • How do I become a surgeon?
  • Selection requirements
  • International surgical training
  • Admission to Fellowship
  • Fellowship
See all News

  • Scheduled system upgrade
  • Now accepting expressions of interest for ANZJS Social Media Specialty Editor
  • RACS AEHA self evaluation form

  • Disclaimer and privacy