Australian Healthcare System Essay
Australia is among the countries with a developed health care system, a high level which reflects the combined historical, political and economic factors, opportunities and attention traditionally given to the social protection of all Australians. So, to protect public health each year 10.8% of the national budget is allocated. Australia is among the first countries in terms of life expectancy (81%) (World Health Organization, 2008).
The structure of the Australian Health includes a number staffed by general, specialized, prehospital and hospital medical, paramedical and other components (general practitioners, specialized professionals, emergency medical assistance, popular free help at public hospitals and health centers, medical services paid in private hospitals and other health centers etc.). One of the main conditions to ensure the effectiveness of health services in Australia is a well thought out and reasonable organization of primary medical care.
The Office of Statistics Center for Medicare and Medical aid programs has published an analysis of total health expenditure in Australia, including not only historical data, and projected costs. It is noted that in 2006 was spent 2.1 trillion dollars, or 16% of GDP.
These figures compared with 2004 increased by 6.7% (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2006). The projected cost increases for the period from 2007 to 2017 will be about 6.7% and reached 19.5% of GDP.
According to various estimates, the number of uninsured Australians ranges from 8-20% of the population. In 2006 this figure amounted to 15.8% of the population. This is a big problem, since many of these people cannot pay for treatment and postpone it, which ultimately leads to higher costs for medical services. Besides serving a large number of uninsured patients may lead to bankruptcy of the hospital or doctor. Among the uninsured population about 38 million – able-bodied adults and more than 27 million people have part-time employment. About 37% of uninsured people have a family income of more than 50 thousand dollars (World Health Organization, 2008).
Discussion and Analysis Finance and Funding
The health system has a part-public funding and receives funds from public and private funds. In 2004, private insurance policies covered 36% of health spending, 15% – paid directly by individuals, 34% – the federal government, 11% – state governments or local authorities, 4% – other private funds. In addition to health insurance, there are benefits to workers in case of loss of disability, life insurance, etc.
And although the employer is not obliged to provide insurance for his employee, even full-time, big companies are practicing such insurance. Since 2001, the cost of such insurance has increased by 78% with wage increases of 19% and inflation at 17%. In this case, workers who provide insurance for the employer, sometimes it is necessary to pay for medical services in a variety of copayments and deductibles.
