Free Medical Care in Australia

[Owlunar]

Thanks @Former-Member

Wow yes - like you I had excellent cover but I injured my spine in a trivial accident and couldn't work and had to stop paying Private Medical Insurance - which is ridiculous when we are sick and can't work to pay for the treatment we need - of course - we just get worse

You have written a lot - and as I am gathering this privately this is good information - whose knows if anything can be changed - still I remain hopeful that something can - 

The price can be high - conditions were Dickensian in the Juvenile Justice Centre when my son died - it took his death to have those ancient buildings destroyed and I know from personal contact that things have been greatly improved and yes - I know what the press can say about it but I have been there to see

So it is tough for those battling with ill-health - particularly MI - but I am so sorry that your kids have condemned your for your efforts on their behalf. Kids are not always appreciative - alas

But thanks again for your imput - I have had good feedback on a Sunday afternoon - it feels like a good start

Dec

[Former-Member]

Hi @Owlunar - good thread. I concur with a lot of the posts here and everyone's concern on not always being able to access adequate healthcare because of waiting times and rising costs....

The government is cutting back on public healthcare funding and Medicare rebates so as to push people to take on private healthcare to appease shareholders interests of profit. And even then the gap fee of what people are paying on top of that is getting out of reach for the average Australian. The government is attempting in my humble opinion to push onto us the inhumane American type of healthcare system that can see many go disadvantaged in this area in preference for profit making of the wealthiest end of town. It's good to be vocal against it. I am standing with you.

The focus and priority in any humane and civil society is helping the disadvantaged first - but it would seem that is taking a back seat in governments to self interest and profiteering. It's greedy and unethical. Keep speaking out.

[Owlunar]

Thanks @Former-Member

I agree - and in America people are suffering and I know - I was some time back - a support member in an American and Canadian website for people with chronic pain

History has lessons if people want to learn - lessons the battlers learn more quickly than others

I have succeeded in speaking out before - and in my journey have found myself to be in good company 

Dec

[Former-Member]

Hi @Owlunar

I would like to write a little more. 

I am in the private system and I have been able to continue my cover throughout my illness, although only hospital cover. Hospital cover was important to me as my first admission was in the private sector and I do not wish to be admitted in the public system, not for my physical or mental health. I did cut out the extras cover, as I did not see the extras cover making any difference to my mental health support. My therapist is not covered by private mental health. My therapist is really good, but hasn't got a certain qualification that is required to be covered under extras.

My therapist is also not eligible for the extended care plan - which I don't understand as I do get the initial sessions with a letter from my GP. My biggest problem with the current system is the restriction in sessions. It took me several attempts to find a suitable psychiatrist and therapist and I know that is often the case. With a physical health issue I may be able to put aside whether I get on with the specialist, but with a mental health it is critical to have a suitable treating team. Unfortunately there is no one-fit-all approach. Medication and other treatment options are trial and error and so is the choice of the treating team. I was also confused at the beginning whether it "was me" when a therapy approach did not fit, so I continued sessions when I already knew in my heart it wouldn't help me. Hence the bills stacked up.

Medication bills are another problem I face and I find the support inadequate and sometimes outrageous, when people with a physical problem only have to pay a fraction of the fee I get charged for a mental health condition.

I budget for my mental health bills as I do not see another way out. It's tough, but I am grateful that I can budget for it and get support. I find it completely unacceptable that people who cannot afford the private health sector are disadvantaged to a level where it costs lives, literally. 

Mental health issues are on the rise, which doesn't surprise me, but if we do not make / have changes to the support system, it will only get worse.

[Owlunar]

@Former-Member

I read your post several times - you certainly reveal the complexity of the mental health system - and one thing I am not sure about is the medication for mental health

Honestly I did not think about it but does it cost you extra for mental health medication? I think I read this elsewhere but it did not hit the spot - so to speak - but I am guessing certain medications cost the client more for some unkind reason - I can't imagine what or maybe I can but I think I need to be told - not ask

It's hard working on a medical team but it must be harder to gather appropriate people for mental health - and I have reflected a little on my last therapists - both of whom went interstate - aw - that was not good - like I pulled out thinking it better to continue alone rather than have carpet pulled out from under my feet

Still - time passes and now I am prepared to go into things I might not have earlier but still - I did not quesion my previous therapists when they didn't want to get into my family issues - but my current therapist is extremely interested in my family issues and - whew - what a relief

I learned to contradict the therapist - that is three back now - they do not know the guts of the thing as we do - and being told that we are mature and all of this is in the past and let it go IS something we already know but the truth is that issues that took place decades ago do have repercussions in our current life and even into our future life seeing as they shaped us

So my point here - generated by your comment - with only 10 assisted interviews with a psychologist a year do we have time to chop and change therapists? No we don't.

Under the present system we do not have the time to really sense if a therapist is right for us

And I have read there that many people have had several therapists even in the time I have been in this forum - 

Everyone's contribution is giving me more ideas - thanks everyone

Dec

[Former-Member]

Hi @Owlunar

Re meds. To what I have been informed is that ie meds that are prescribed to epilepsy sufferes are cheaper than when used for treating mental health issues and I have heard it also for other meds. I have never asked a pharmacist, but I’ve heard that from doctors.

I find it hard and also very unkind when psychologists dismiss the past. ‘Thankfully’ I was diagnosed with complex trauma / PTSD right from the beginning so the past was always part of my therapy. But I had practitioners who, I know that now, have retraumatised me, a psychiatrist and a psychologist. A reason for that is that I wasn’t aware of the depth of my trauma, but I believe a professional should have protected me. That makes it even worse when sessions are limited. I’m glad I had a good GP help me through the bad times and that blueknot helped me find my voice and understand it wasn’t my fault that I didn’t get better with their treatment approach. But the damage is done.

My current therapist works on the past with me but to an extend I can cope with. It’s a delicate process to put it mildly. After years intense therapy I am starting to understand some of the concepts of leaving the past behind but it’s still a long journey. Most of the time we have spent working on stabilising me.

What saddens me is that through inadequate support and discrimination in the workplace I have gone from a successful professional to being unemployed. That is the biggest issue when not providing services, so much potential mentally ill people carry within them is lost, cannot be utilised and in turn undermines the confidence of the person and hence creates additional mental wounds. It’s a viscious cycle.

[Sans911]

@Former-Member@OwlunarSome mental health medications are not on the PBS list, even if you are a HCC holder. One of my medications was not as there was a mix up in communications. This medication was more than $60/month. Thank goodness it was rectified within a week, but for those people not in possession of a HCC or who don't have a diagnosit to fit the prescription woupd be heavily out of pocket each month.

[Owlunar]

Thanks @Former-Member@Sans911

It seems so unfair that the same medication that is on the PBS for some conditions is out of pocket for people with MI - it seems that people are being punished for having and MI when I am learning that there are conditions within the brain that cause some of these and these causes are physical

People with chronic pain have similar issues - most of the medication I take is on the PBS but not all - and I have allergies and antihistamines are dished out by the pharmacist but are expensive items

The more I look at this the more correalations there are with MI and chronic pain and people can't actually see either - only the way we explain ourselves or  something like that - and how cruel it is to drive a person who might be able to hold a job if they had the right verbal therapy or the right medication - and I am learning also that if people have an MI employers discriminate against them

Enough said for tonight anyway - I don't want to upset myself - 

I had a dx of being Emotionally Fragile from a psychologist - one long visit only - he decided I didn't need to see a pyschologist. At the time both of my aging parents had health scares and things had been very bad - they had treated me badly at the time and it seems now I certainly did need a therapist

Really weird - okay - no more triggers tonight

Thanks for your comments everyone

Dec