HUME Medicare Local will continue pushing for Albury and Wodonga to be grouped in the same network when the service wraps up its operations next year.
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Chief executive David Dart and chairwoman Wendy Connor yesterday said it was “nonsensical” for Albury to be part of the NSW network when Albury Wodonga Health was under the jurisdiction of Victoria.
The comments came as the service held its annual general meeting and released an annual report that delivered a 2013-14 surplus of $48,014.
Funding for the Medicare Local scheme will cease in July next year as the federal government dismantles the existing services and replaces them with primary health networks based on state borders.
The government moved to hose down concerns of what this would mean for Albury-Wodonga — which shares a large number of services particularly with the amalgamation of Albury Wodonga Health — by stating there would be a cross-border clinical council and community advisory boards.
However, Dr Connor said it was “inappropriate” for Albury not to be included in the Victorian health network.
“(The councils) are really only an advisory group ... it will not enable a good flow of services, when what we’ve been advocating is a seamless flow of services,” she said.
Mr Dart said there was still not enough detail on how these cross-border councils would work.
He said with little detail so far on what would be required in terms of a handover over the next six months, the service was going “full-steam” with its service delivery.
The 2013-14 report showed revenue for the 2012-13 year was $11.18 million.
After expenses of $11.13 million, a total of $48,014 in cash and assets remain; that’s compared with $497,953 the previous year.
