29 September 2016 - Federal Health Minister Sussan Ley has warned private health stakeholders, in a veiled threat, that they will be worse off if they gamble on an “aggressive” strategy in reform talks with the government.

Ms Ley, speaking at the Medical Technology Association of Australia’s annual conference in Sydney yesterday, said it was not surprising there had been the usual politics and posturing played out in public view by those trying to get the best deal for members.

Private health insurers and device manufacturers have been lobbying the government over plans to reform the Prostheses List, which regulates the price of medical devices in the private system.

“I would simply remark that in my experience those who choose to gamble on aggressive, higher-risk strategies of engagement in reform processes increase their chance of walking away from the table worse off than where they started,” she said.

Read The Australian article