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Stephen Duckett AM, Kerrie Aust GP, & Nicole Higgins

AMA & RACGP Panel
Medicare – is it fit for purpose? What should be done?

Wednesday, 8 February 2023

The National Press Club of Australia

Following the release of the “Strengthening Medicare Taskforce report” we are pleased to announce a panel of expert stakeholders to discuss Medicare reforms.

Stephen Duckett AM, Kerrie Aust GP AMA President ACT & Nicole Higgins RACGP President, will Address the National Press Club on Wednesday, 8th February 2023.


Following the release of  the “Strengthening Medicare Taskforce report” we are pleased to announce a panel of expert stakeholders who will discuss medicare reforms  “Medicare – is it fit for purpose?” What should be done? 

Stephen Duckett AM

Dr Stephen Duckett has held top operational and policy leadership positions in health care in Australia and Canada, including as Secretary of what is now the Commonwealth Department of Health.   

He has a reputation for creativity, evidence-based innovation, and reform in areas ranging from the introduction of activity-based funding for hospitals to new systems of accountability for the safety of hospital care.

An economist, he is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.

Nicole Higgins President of the RACGP

Nicole was appointed President in November 2022

She is North Queensland – based practice owner and GP supervisor. She  is described as a fierce advocate for the profession

She is a  practice owner, supervisor, medical educator, registrar, director, leader, working parent and primary caregiver.

Dr Kerrie Aust, FRACGP MChD BAu BSc DCH

Kerrie is a Canberra General Practitioner and President-Elect of the ACT AMA. She loves being a GP, and caring for the patients in her community.  She has a passion for medical education and is a supervisor of GP Registrars and ANU Medical Students.  She has a particular interest in mental health and complex disease management.  She has recently joined Drs4Drs ACT as the Medical Director.  Prior to becoming a doctor she worked as the business manager for the Institute for Applied Ecology and for Ernst & Young in their Audit and Advisory Business Services Group.

The panel will be moderated by Laura Tingle , President of the NPC.

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