Implementing the Australian Health Care System

Hagland, M.M. et al., "Looking Abroad for Changes to the U.S. health C atomic number 18 System," Hospitals, 20 May 1991, 3233.

finished the country's comfortablyrun frequent health system. The system is funded through an income value of 1.25 per centum (the "Medicare levy") as well as through general tax revenue. This provides a rebate of 85 portion of the docketd "most common fee" for all doctors go. A national schedule of fees has also been established for diverse other(a) services as well. Diagnostic services attract lower berth wins and some services provided by professionals allied to medicinei.e., alveolar consonant and optical servicesare not covered by Medicare at all.

Doctors do not have to stick to the schedule fee however. They can deal to bill the Medicare administration directly. If they do not bill the patient, the doctor is paid 85 percent of the fee covered by Medicare and the patient passs nothing. This bulk billing, as it is called, is becoming increasingly common. In fact, it is even encouraged by Australia's governmentparticularly for patients who solely require the attention of a general practitioner. Bulk billing gives the patient the "feeling" that services have been provided entirely for allay. It is estimated that 70 percent of the bills for general practitioners are settled accordingly.

For secondary care there is a rumple of public, private, and charitable infirmarys. About 40 percent of the funding for the public infirmarys comes from the federal go

A revolution of approaches for solving these problems exist. While the specifics of such reform remain uncertain, the hereafter of the Australian Medicare system is clear. Both the nation's political parties and the general cosmos seem committed to retaining their universal health coverage.

A benefit of private insurance is that it entitles Australians to care at private hospitals. close to 25 percent of the nation's 720 hospitals are private. Whether notforprofit or investor owned, these organizations must be communityrated. The hospitals do offer various amenities not available at the public hospitals. Patients choose their own physicians and don't have to wait for surgery.

In addition, the rooms function to be fairly luxurious.

Private hospitals do not manoeuver trauma centers and do not admit Medicare recipients. In medical emergencies, these institutions will stabilize Medicare patients before transferring them to the nearest public hospital. As one Australian put it, "Australians are guaranteed 'Chevrolet' care, and have an woof to purchase 'Cadillac' care."

Attendance at public hospital outpatient and chance clinics is free. Patients requiring admission may opt to be either "hospital" patients or "private" patients. Hospital patients are treated by a hospitalnominated doctor and receive free care. Private patients have the option of choosing their doctor from among those on the see staff. The option, however, comes at a price. Private patients are obliged to pay both the doctors' and the hospital's fees. In order to obtain a bounteous refund for these charges, private patients must have previously purchased a supplemental health insurance policy containing hospital coverage.

hospital facilities, and a ceiling on total earnings. Moreover, these contracts were neither conveyable nor subject to appeal.

its emphasis on treatment within the home, the net is of

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