1 To Pay or Not to Pay That Is the Question

The directives from government, at both federal and state level, to incorporate consumer participation into the health system’s decision making processes has raised many issues. One of these is whether consumer representatives should be paid remuneration for their work in the health sector and/or provided with reimbursement for the expenses they have occurred. This article will present the arguments for and against payment and explore the assumptions behind these arguments. In 1993, the National Health Strategy addressed issues associated with achieving greater public participation and accountability in the Australian health system. It argued that: “The health system must involve its consumers at all levels if it is to have a population focus, reduce inequalities and use resources efficiently and effectively. Consumers should be involved in determining priorities of the health system, and their rights should be respected ” (Healthy Participation, 1993, p. 3). The Strategy suggested a number of approaches for achieving greater consumer involvement. It identified the benefits of public participation in terms of improvin