industry & policy
Sore subject
Arthritis affects millions of
people and is a big expense for
the government, yet it doesn’t
receive the attention it deserves.
Franca Marine interviewed
by Dallas Bastian
B
etter care and support for people with arthritis could save
the health system $170 million a year by reducing the need
for joint replacement surgery.
That’s one of the key points raised by Arthritis Australia following
the release of its report, Counting the cost: The current and future
burden of arthritis.
Policy and government relations manager at Arthritis Australia
Franca Marine says: “We spend more on joint replacements than
on any other hospital procedures, yet little priority is given to
programs that can prevent or delay these expensive surgeries. Our
report finds that supporting better non-surgical management for
people with knee osteoarthritis could save the health system more
than $170 million in reduced knee replacements alone. This could
be achieved with an investment of as little as $11 million a year.”
Arthritis Australia says nearly 4 million Australians live with
arthritis and that this number will rise to 5.4 million by 2030.
Marine says: “Arthritis already costs the health system $5.5 billion
and this will grow to $7.6 billion by 2030 unless more is done to
prevent and better manage the condition.”
The report also highlights the economic impact of arthritis in
terms of people’s work capacity.
Report co-author professor Deborah Schofield, a health
economist from the University of Sydney, says the modelling
behind the Counting the Cost report finds that 52,000 people
aged 15–64 are unable to work due to their arthritis.
“This leads to a loss of personal income of $955 a week, or $1.8
billion a year nationally, rising to $2.6 billion by 2030,” Schofield
says. “The cost to the government of early retirement due to
18 agedcareinsite.com.au
arthritis is more than $1.1 billion a year in extra welfare payments
and lost taxation revenue. Lost GDP due to arthritis-related early
retirement was $7.2 billion in 2015 and this will reach $9.4 billion
a year by 2030.”
Marine sits down with Aged Care Insite to discuss what is needed
in order to improve support, treatment and research aimed at
helping those living with what can be a crippling condition.
ACI: What are some of the key findings from the report that
you hope political parties take note of?
FM: That [treating] arthritis is expensive, both to individuals and
to the health system and economy. Arthritis is the second most
common cause of early retirement due to ill health; there