One million vulnerable Australians would have easier access to health and fitness support through a voucher program being promoted by Olympic champion Duncan Armstrong.
The swimming gold medallist is calling for the next Federal Government to fund $400 vouchers, each year, for one million Australians, including those who are ageing, living with a chronic condition, or experiencing a mental illness.
Mr Armstrong, who is also the General Manger of Stakeholder Engagement at Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA), said a Healthy Living Voucher scheme would improve lives and reduce ballooning healthcare costs, currently $250 billion a year.
“As someone invested in the number 400, as a 400m Australian Gold medallist, I’m calling for our politicians to back $400 Healthy Living Vouchers to help prevent, treat and manage chronic health conditions, and give hope to Australians struggling with their health,” he said.
Mr Armstrong said the vouchers could be redeemed with an Accredited Exercise Scientist (AES), Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP) or other suitable allied health professional.
“Accredited exercise professionals can provide people with life-long, individualised exercise programs, which help people stay healthy and out of our overcrowded hospitals.”
He said Accredited Exercise Scientists helped prevent chronic health conditions, while Accredited Exercise Physiologists treated and manage chronic health conditions including diabetes, mental health illnesses, obesity, cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
Mr Armstrong said the need for the Healthy Living Vouchers was underscored by Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIWH) statistics that showed two thirds of Australian adults were overweight or obese and two in every five weren’t doing enough exercise.
He said the voucher system was among three key preventive health measures ESSA was calling for to regain control of health expenditure in Australia, including the removal of GST from exercise physiology and funding the integration of AEPs into mental health care in hospital and community settings.
