Discover the latest interviews, thought leadership and analysis in health and policy.
amplieo.substack.com (https://amplieo.substack.com/s/health-in-focus?utm_medium=podcast)
Harvard health economist Dr Benjamin Sommers examines what universal insurance does and does not solve, why the US spends far more for comparable care, and what countries like Australia should watch as inequality, ageing and fiscal pressures intensify.
Chapters
(00:00) - Intro
(01:19) - Coverage versus access in universal systems
(05:11) - The ‘voltage drop’ between insurance and outcomes
(06:05) - Massachusetts reform and narrowing disparities
(08:34) - Federalism as innovation and inequity
(11:35) - National compacts versus patchwork systems
(15:21) - How to measure system performance and equity
(17:55) - Maternal and early life indicators as stress tests
(18:42) - Data capacity, political will and public reporting
(22:58) - The real driver of US costs: prices
(24:24) - Administrative complexity and fragmentation
(26:00) - Where systems fracture under inequality and ageing
(28:03) - The limits of market solutions
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13 Feb 2026
GP bulk billing surges but affordability pressures persist
Australia’s GP billing landscape is shifting rapidly, with new Cleanbill data showing a sharp rise in fully bulk billing clinics alongside continued growth in out of pocket costs, raising complex questions about incentives, sustainability and equitable access to primary care.
Chapters
(00:00) - Intro
(00:52) - Blue Report headline figures
(02:14) - What is driving the bulk billing shift
(03:39) - Understanding the rise in out of pocket costs
(05:23) - The economics of running a GP clinic
(06:23) - Cleanbill methodology versus government data
(08:14) - What counts as a GP clinic
(11:49) - Geographic variation and incentive design
(13:50) - Are costs deterring patients from care
(15:31) - The 90 percent bulk billing target
(17:39) - Policy settings and structural reform
📥 JOIN Amplieo+ on Substack for early access to episodes, exclusive videos, and bonus content: https://amplieo.substack.com (https://amplieo.substack.com)
LEARN more about Amplieo: https://www.amplieo.com (https://www.amplieo.com)
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29 Jan 2026
Greg Hunt: Designing virtual care for a modern health system
Telehealth is no longer a stopgap or crisis response but a permanent pillar of Australia’s health system, reshaping how care is accessed, funded and governed.
Former health minister Greg Hunt reflects on how virtual care has matured since its rapid expansion, why access and quality must be advanced together, and what this means for funding reform, workforce capability and the future design of hospitals.
Chapters
(00:00) - Intro
(00:48) - Life after politics and a portfolio view of health reform
(03:52) - Digital health, AI and the shift to system-based care
(05:03) - Telehealth’s transition from fringe to mainstream
(06:06) - What rapid reform revealed about system capacity
(08:55) - Principles for virtual care: access and quality
(12:26) - Addressing Australia’s access gap through telehealth
(13:38) - Managing innovation, safety and stakeholder interests
(16:08) - Clinical, administrative, resourcing and ethical priorities
(19:18) - Building principles that endure technological change
(21:12) - Oversight, accountability and governance models
(23:26) - Bulk billing, incentives and access pressures
(27:01) - Hospital funding reform and system integration
📥 JOIN Amplieo+ on Substack for early access to episodes, exclusive videos, and bonus content: https://amplieo.substack.com (https://amplieo.substack.com)
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