Australia's health care system

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How Australia's health care system works
Australia's health care system is mostly funded by the government while relying on private health insurance for some services.
It was originally introduced by the left-wing government of former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in 1975 to provide the "most equitable and efficient means of providing health insurance coverage for all Australians." It replaced an earlier system of voluntary health insurance.

Australian residents are able to see doctors and optometrists, as well as receive some minor surgeries, usually free of charge. The partial cost of pharmaceuticals is also covered under the separate Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
Residents get hospital treatment at no charge, although you can't choose your doctor.
It is partly funded by a 2% levy on all taxpayers, although that can be reduced or even waived for people earning low incomes.
For the wealthy, an additional tax applies to people who don't have private health insurance.
In 2014, the Australian government spent 9% of its GDP on health care, compared to the 17% spent by the United States the same year.
Not everything is free however -- Medicare doesn't cover all dentist visits, most physiotherapy and ambulance services. Many Australians still need private health insurance for some or all of these.
Battle over Obamacare
Health care in the US is much more complicated -- there is no broad overarching government-funded health care system.
Instead, the majority of health care providers are privately run and health insurance can be purchased to use them.
What's in the Republican health care bill

What's in the Republican health care bill 03:18
The vast majority of health insurance is provided by US citizens' employers, although tens of millions of Americans remain uninsured.
In an attempt to improve the system, former US President Barack Obama passed the Affordable Care Act in 2010, during his first term. A signature achievement of his administration, it came to be known as Obamacare.
It was designed to increase the array of healthcare benefits provided by insurers and levied a tax on the wealthy to help pay for it. Republicans were strongly opposed to the law and called for its repeal.
However, Democrats say millions of Americans would lose their insurance if Trump's bill was to pass.
The bill also allow insurers to charge higher premiums for those in their 50s and early 60s, compared to younger consumers, and slashes federal support for Medicaid.

[hutch--]

Health care is subject to similar pressures as the US, its just that the resistance to conservative governments is strong enough to keep blocking it. The current Government has tried to whittle away at the existing system, increasing prices, excluding more people etc .... but they keep being beaten in the Senate as the voting population is ever more suspicious of both major political parties. Currently the balance of power in the Senate is held by a collection of loonies that the government cannot control.

[jj2007]

Health care is subject to similar pressures as the US

It's a complex phenomenon, obviously. EU states like the UK and Italy have free health care, i.e. paid by other taxes on income, VAT etc.; others like Germany have obligatory insurance.

What is striking is the extreme cost of health care in the U.S. - about twice as high as elsewhere. And there is no evidence that the service is any better, on the contrary, life expectancy is much lower in the U.S.:

Japan's life expectancy is nearly 83 years with European countries like Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Sweden, Israel and Australia only a year or two behind.
...
The United States has a life expectancy of around 78 years, comparable to Cuba and near the bottom of the OECD countries

Of course, the evil pharma industry and the greedy doctors are to blame, but they exist everywhere, and there should be competition, so that theory is not on very solid grounds.

One interesting argument is that the U.S. judicial system (lawyers paid only if successful etc) is the culprit: Many people sue their hospitals and doctors for alleged bad treatment, and many win exorbitant sums that, eventually, are costs to others. Which means more or less that some "lucky victims" of doctors get stinking rich for a broken leg while all others pay an exorbitant price for bad service.

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It's a complex phenomenon, obviously. EU states like the UK and Italy have free health care, i.e. paid by other taxes on income, VAT etc.; others like Germany have obligatory insurance.

What is striking is the extreme cost of health care in the U.S. - about twice as high as elsewhere. And there is no evidence that the service is any better, on the contrary, life expectancy is much lower in the U.S.:
Quote

    Japan's life expectancy is nearly 83 years with European countries like Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Sweden, Israel and Australia only a year or two behind.
    ...
    The United States has a life expectancy of around 78 years, comparable to Cuba and near the bottom of the OECD countries


Of course, the evil pharma industry and the greedy doctors are to blame, but they exist everywhere, and there should be competition, so that theory is not on very solid grounds.

One interesting argument is that the U.S. judicial system (lawyers paid only if successful etc) is the culprit: Many people sue their hospitals and doctors for alleged bad treatment, and many win exorbitant sums that, eventually, are costs to others. Which means more or less that some "lucky victims" of doctors get stinking rich for a broken leg while all others pay an exorbitant price for bad service.
Logged

You are  right in some respects. But ...

I do volunteer work in a hospital.

You may not believe me, but most U.S. doctors are not greedy.

My primary care physician asked me to get some blood work done.

My carbohydrate level was too high.

I saw a Dietician and she gave me a diet and exercise program.

It's a complex phenomenon, obviously. EU states like the UK and Italy have free health care, i.e. paid by other taxes on income, VAT etc.; others like Germany have obligatory insurance.

What is striking is the extreme cost of health care in the U.S. - about twice as high as elsewhere. And there is no evidence that the service is any better, on the contrary, life expectancy is much lower in the U.S.:
Quote

    Japan's life expectancy is nearly 83 years with European countries like Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Sweden, Israel and Australia only a year or two behind.
    ...
    The United States has a life expectancy of around 78 years, comparable to Cuba and near the bottom of the OECD countries


Of course, the evil pharma industry and the greedy doctors are to blame, but they exist everywhere, and there should be competition, so that theory is not on very solid grounds.

One interesting argument is that the U.S. judicial system (lawyers paid only if successful etc) is the culprit: Many people sue their hospitals and doctors for alleged bad treatment, and many win exorbitant sums that, eventually, are costs to others. Which means more or less that some "lucky victims" of doctors get stinking rich for a broken leg while all others pay an exorbitant price for bad service.
Logged


The U.S. government is too blame.

Doctors have boatloads to paperwork to fill out.