English section b trial
2024 TSSM
Purpose: stop the subscription models from increasing, encourage consumers to
think before they enter the subscription model scheme
Audience: doctors, and hospital directors
Issue: subscription model increase
Statistics: on average 77% of consumers spend $499 annually on subscriptions
Title: Shout
The following Ted Talk was presented in Melbourne, Victoria to doctors, medical
practitioners, and hospital directors.
William Faulker, a well-loved author quoted “Never be afraid to raise your voice
for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed.” It is
time for us to shout against subscription models in healthcare systems.
In recent years, there has been an increase in corporate giants to incorporate
subscription models to their services: Hello Fresh with weekly groceries
delivered, snapchat plus changing social media subscription, and even Netflix,
which recently introduced a standard with ads plan. Of course, with these types
of plans if you don’t want to pay it, you can just cancel it, but what about those
with health care insurance that allow them to live? When someone’s life is on the
line, can you really cancel it then?
As a doctor myself, I am tired of this subscription economy entering our
healthcare system. It’s sickening. It’s sickening when we see fellow doctors out
there forcing patients to “subscribe” to their hospital just to enter their office for
a 15-minute check-up.
In Australia, Medicare covers just about everything for Australian citizens, but
what about those that aren’t. Those who aren’t permanent citizens, New Zealand
citizens, or humanitarian visa holders. Are they forced to “subscribe” to
expensive healthcare insurances just to be able to live?
Recently, I have come across a young immigrant family seeking treatment for
their daughter with pneumonia. The clinical smell of the hospital and clean, new
medical equipment contrasted with the family’s simple clothes and quiet shuffle.
When they told me their concern about their daughter’s constant fever, their
strong fiery eyes, calloused hands and heavy eye bags showed their
determination and care for their daughter. While I was checking the daughter’s
heartbeat, they shared their story with me, and I have been given permission to
share it with you today.
The couple are from a very rural, small town in Vietnam. The husband was only
able to go to university due to the whole community gathering enough money
just to send him there. Through the communities’ sacrifice, he was able to get
his diploma and immigrate here with his family on a temporary worker visa. The
husband works night shifts at a bakery and day shift in a factory, scraping every
dollar he can to support his family here, while the wife works at a local
restaurant and takes care of their young children. Family is a big cultural aspect
, in Vietnam, so monthly, the couple sends money back to their family in Vietnam
to support them there. This meant that the family here had to reduce on costs,
which meant no health care insurance. And of course, Medicare is not available
for this family either.
Their story touched me, and I empathised with their concerns as a fellow
immigrant here myself with parents who worked two jobs to give me and my
brother a better future here. But as a doctor bounded by so many rules and
regulations, I couldn’t do anything except prescribe some medicine for the
daughter and send them to the front desk to pay.
From my office, I watched the young family go to the counter and ask for the
medicine that I prescribed. I could see some whispers exchanged between the
couple after hearing the price and them rummaging through their bag for any
money they had left. In the end, the couple walked out of the hospital with their
sick daughter in hand and the expensive medicine left on the counter of the front
desk.
I was deeply disappointed in the healthcare system, my hospital, and myself for
turning away a needing family all because they didn’t have the money. I
questioned, why hadn’t I given them the medicine, or offered to pay? Because
truly I realised that any small action, any “weight” will tip the scale of justice,
allowing the pursuit of compassion, truth and honesty. (stimulus 1)
An Australian Healthcare Index survey found that 49% of respondents have gone
to General Practitioners less frequently due to rising out-of-pocket costs. Is this
the kind of response we want from the people we swore to save? Is our system
flawed that we are causing people to wait till the last minute before they receive
lifesaving care?
All of us here made a vow when we chose to become health practitioners. We
vowed to maintain the utmost respect for human life, to not violate human rights
and civil liberties. And now is the time for us to act upon this vow and shout
against injustice.
If we choose to whisper, when we must yell, we are writing a future where hope
cannot dwell. (stimulus 3)
The first step towards healing our broken healthcare system is shouting. We
must reject the systemic barriers in our healthcare systems. All of us have the
power to influence our patients, our hospitals, and our health care system. As
healthcare workers, we have the choice. The choice to create a safe society in
Australia where everyone, regardless of whether they were born here or not, is
respected, cared for and valued.
So, I ask you, health directors and leading practitioners in the room to do what is
just: reject these subscription services in our healthcare system and provide the
best treatment you can to patients regardless of whether they will be able to
afford it or not. Because, saving lives should not come with a cost, it should be
done wholeheartedly, and no life should need to be forfeited because of money.
So, I hope in the near future, when a young family comes into your hospital
seeking treatment, they can be sure that they will be treated with respect and
2024 TSSM
Purpose: stop the subscription models from increasing, encourage consumers to
think before they enter the subscription model scheme
Audience: doctors, and hospital directors
Issue: subscription model increase
Statistics: on average 77% of consumers spend $499 annually on subscriptions
Title: Shout
The following Ted Talk was presented in Melbourne, Victoria to doctors, medical
practitioners, and hospital directors.
William Faulker, a well-loved author quoted “Never be afraid to raise your voice
for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed.” It is
time for us to shout against subscription models in healthcare systems.
In recent years, there has been an increase in corporate giants to incorporate
subscription models to their services: Hello Fresh with weekly groceries
delivered, snapchat plus changing social media subscription, and even Netflix,
which recently introduced a standard with ads plan. Of course, with these types
of plans if you don’t want to pay it, you can just cancel it, but what about those
with health care insurance that allow them to live? When someone’s life is on the
line, can you really cancel it then?
As a doctor myself, I am tired of this subscription economy entering our
healthcare system. It’s sickening. It’s sickening when we see fellow doctors out
there forcing patients to “subscribe” to their hospital just to enter their office for
a 15-minute check-up.
In Australia, Medicare covers just about everything for Australian citizens, but
what about those that aren’t. Those who aren’t permanent citizens, New Zealand
citizens, or humanitarian visa holders. Are they forced to “subscribe” to
expensive healthcare insurances just to be able to live?
Recently, I have come across a young immigrant family seeking treatment for
their daughter with pneumonia. The clinical smell of the hospital and clean, new
medical equipment contrasted with the family’s simple clothes and quiet shuffle.
When they told me their concern about their daughter’s constant fever, their
strong fiery eyes, calloused hands and heavy eye bags showed their
determination and care for their daughter. While I was checking the daughter’s
heartbeat, they shared their story with me, and I have been given permission to
share it with you today.
The couple are from a very rural, small town in Vietnam. The husband was only
able to go to university due to the whole community gathering enough money
just to send him there. Through the communities’ sacrifice, he was able to get
his diploma and immigrate here with his family on a temporary worker visa. The
husband works night shifts at a bakery and day shift in a factory, scraping every
dollar he can to support his family here, while the wife works at a local
restaurant and takes care of their young children. Family is a big cultural aspect
, in Vietnam, so monthly, the couple sends money back to their family in Vietnam
to support them there. This meant that the family here had to reduce on costs,
which meant no health care insurance. And of course, Medicare is not available
for this family either.
Their story touched me, and I empathised with their concerns as a fellow
immigrant here myself with parents who worked two jobs to give me and my
brother a better future here. But as a doctor bounded by so many rules and
regulations, I couldn’t do anything except prescribe some medicine for the
daughter and send them to the front desk to pay.
From my office, I watched the young family go to the counter and ask for the
medicine that I prescribed. I could see some whispers exchanged between the
couple after hearing the price and them rummaging through their bag for any
money they had left. In the end, the couple walked out of the hospital with their
sick daughter in hand and the expensive medicine left on the counter of the front
desk.
I was deeply disappointed in the healthcare system, my hospital, and myself for
turning away a needing family all because they didn’t have the money. I
questioned, why hadn’t I given them the medicine, or offered to pay? Because
truly I realised that any small action, any “weight” will tip the scale of justice,
allowing the pursuit of compassion, truth and honesty. (stimulus 1)
An Australian Healthcare Index survey found that 49% of respondents have gone
to General Practitioners less frequently due to rising out-of-pocket costs. Is this
the kind of response we want from the people we swore to save? Is our system
flawed that we are causing people to wait till the last minute before they receive
lifesaving care?
All of us here made a vow when we chose to become health practitioners. We
vowed to maintain the utmost respect for human life, to not violate human rights
and civil liberties. And now is the time for us to act upon this vow and shout
against injustice.
If we choose to whisper, when we must yell, we are writing a future where hope
cannot dwell. (stimulus 3)
The first step towards healing our broken healthcare system is shouting. We
must reject the systemic barriers in our healthcare systems. All of us have the
power to influence our patients, our hospitals, and our health care system. As
healthcare workers, we have the choice. The choice to create a safe society in
Australia where everyone, regardless of whether they were born here or not, is
respected, cared for and valued.
So, I ask you, health directors and leading practitioners in the room to do what is
just: reject these subscription services in our healthcare system and provide the
best treatment you can to patients regardless of whether they will be able to
afford it or not. Because, saving lives should not come with a cost, it should be
done wholeheartedly, and no life should need to be forfeited because of money.
So, I hope in the near future, when a young family comes into your hospital
seeking treatment, they can be sure that they will be treated with respect and
