Healthscope: Teachers Fund CEO Brad Joyce slams hospital operator for targeting teachers in pandemic
The boss of a health fund — one of six to no longer receive private cover for Healthscope-run facilities — has slammed the behaviour of the private operator of 42 hospitals for exploiting teachers during the global pandemic.
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The boss of a health fund has slammed Australia’s biggest private hospital operator for unfairly targeting teachers who are “already facing personal and professional challenges during COVID-19”.
Brad Joyce chief executive officer, of the Teachers Health Fund, released a statement this week attacking Healthscope, which operates 42 hospitals, for proposing “unacceptable and unfair” increases in fees for its members.
As a result the Teachers Health Fund and five others will no longer receive private health cover for Healthscope run facilities.
Last week Healthscope said the rate offered by the six health funds, was “simply not enough to allow our hospitals to meet their costs, such as paying the salaries of our nursing and other hospital staff” and “was also significantly out of step with what other health insurers pay”.
The five other funds include CUA Health; Commonwealth Bank’s CBHS Corporate Health; Australian Unity, CBHS Health Fund and Reserve Bank Health Society Ltd.
This week Mr Joyce said Healthscope’s decision to terminate at this time is “irresponsible and unconscionable”.
“It unfairly targets teachers who are already facing personal and professional challenges during COVID-19,” he said.
“Our members do not deserve this uncertainty while performing a vital role under difficult conditions.”
He added the decision to terminate has taken place “only three weeks after the Federal Government’s commitment to protect Healthscope’s viability as a result of the COVID-19 crisis by providing significant financial support”.
“Healthscope is now not only receiving taxpayer support but is also seeking to impose excessive increases on health funds. This is a fact that disappoints us even more while we try to protect our many members impacted by their decision.”
He said this “opportunistic and exploitative behaviour demonstrates the lack of competition faced by Healthscope and its ability to make take it or leave it offers to health funds”.
A NSW Health spokesman said all the financial arrangements between hospitals and health funds are matters for them and would not comment further on the financial side.
He said Teachers Health members are still able to opt to be admitted as private patients in Healthscope hospitals, but they may incur additional out-of-pocket costs.
A Healthscope spokesman said last week contracting arrangements with private health insurers need to appropriately reimburse “us for the work our people do every day, and allow us to invest in our facilities and equipment so we can continue to deliver world-class care for patients”.
The Healthscope hospitals in NSW include Campbelltown Private Hospital, Mosman Private Hospital, Nepean Private Hospital, Newcastle Private Hospital, Northern Beaches Hospital, Norwest Private Hospital, Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Sydney Southwest Private Hospital, The Hills Private Hospital, The Sydney Clinic, Tweed Day Surgery, Hunter Valley Private and Lady Davidson Private.