Copy of Healthcare in Australia

Healthcare in Australia

Private health insurance

how/why the govt wants people to have private

How-

• applying medicare levy surcharge
• forced to pay a lifetime health cover (LHC) loading over the age of 30

why-

• to reduce govt expenditure and also increase personal contributions to health care
• benefits people both high and low socioeconomic status

what does private insurance cover?

Disadvantages of private insurance

• dental treatment
• chiropractic treatment
• physiotherapy, speech and eye therapy
• Patients can choose their specialist, GP, + care provider within the hospital
• some companies have started to fund joining a gym

• Designed to benefit people with high socio-economic status
• Has a negative effect since it creates inequity

Advantages of private insurance

• being able to choose your own doctor or carer
• the waiting list for surgery is MUCH SHORTER
• provides services that medicare does not

by Mike Pillari

what does medicare cover?

• hospital care
• optomotrists
• GP's
• sometimes dentists
• theraputic and surgical procedures
• eye tests
• tests (e.g. x-rays)

part 1- hospital

part 2- medical

part 3- pharmaceutical

how is medicare funded?

medicare

• medicare levy = 2% of individuals income
• medicare levy surcharge = for high income earners (over 90,000p.a)
• the surcharge can cause a total of 3.5% tax (1.5% surcharge + 2% levy)

The medicare safety net

disadvantages of medicare

• it is a threshold that caps medical expenses annually
• you dont pay less for doctor visits however your medicare benfits will be larger
• blood tests, CT scans, ultrasounds, radiotherapy and x-rays are services covered by the medicare safety net

• THE LONG WAITING LIST
• Doesn't include the cost of:
• ambulance
• physio
• chiropractor
• therapist etc

advantages of medicare

What is medicare ?

• hospital facilities are free
• covers most surgical procedures from doctors
• prescription drugs a proportionately paid for
• doctors can have a fixed salary and still earn extra

• publicly funded
• introduced 1975 as a private healthcare
• officially made public in 1984
• funding expected to reach $23 BILLION in 2017