Also see
Recent Articles
« The limits of ebooks in early 2010 | Main | Charlie Stross' Lament »
Sunday
Jan242010

On healthcare

DateSunday, January 24, 2010 at 9:04AM

Given the debate about healthcare reform in the United States, it is instructive comparing it with the Australian experience of universal access to healthcare.

About Medicare in Australia 

Since 1975, Australia has had "universal health insurance" in the form of Medicare. Medicare enables all Australians:

  • effective access to MD visits free of charge
  • discounted visits to allied health service practitioners (e.g. psychologists, physiotherapy)
  • free access to public hospitals for emergency treatment
  • rationed access to public hospitals for elective surgery (rationing via wait lists)
  • discounted medicines (for those medicines listed by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme)

Medicare is supplemented by private health insurance. Private health insurance is used to provide greater choice to patients (choice of institution; choice of treating doctor), and to fund elective surgery.

Australia spends less money on health care

Last time I looked, Australia spends around 8% of GDP on health services; whereas United States spends around 16%.  

Australians gain better health outcomes

Australian life expectancy is 3.1 years longer than in the United States (83.1 years in Australia, relative to 78 years in USA). In 1974, the year I was born, the average Australian and American life spans were equal at 72 years. While both countries' average life expectancies have improved, Australia's statistics have improved faster. There is a clear correlation between the introduction of universal access to healthcare and an increased rate of improvement in life expectancy. This represents a phenomenally more effective investment in healthcare than in the United States, which spends twice as much (relative to GDP) and produces an inferior result.

Australian healthcare is nationally affordable

While the Australian Federal Government spends around 43% of its budget funding Medicare, it has no long-term debt. The Australian Federal Government has been running significant surpluses while reducing tax rates during the long boom from 1994 through 2008. Since the Global Financial Crisis, the Federal budget has swung into deficit in order to mitigate the effects of the financial turmoil. So, overall, Australia has been successfully running a system enabling universal health care for more than 25 years, affordably.

Personal observations

My family moved to Australia in 1979. I have lived here since then, excepting for three years in which I lived in the United States (1999 through 2002). My brother resided in the United States from 1998 through mid-2009. Observations are drawn from my and my brother's experience under both systems.

Cost. In the United States, I had access to health insurance through my employer. The amount of money I spent on health insurance for myself and my family was, to me, shockingly high. 

Stress. The fear of losing one's job—and therefore one's health insurance—is significantly greater in the United States than in Australia. There is no nexus between employment and healthcare in Australia; whereas it is a source of stress in the USA.

Over servicing. When I visited doctors, I experienced a much higher level of attentiveness, and significant encouragement to engage in programs specially designed to exploit every benefit offered under my health insurance policy. (In Australia, we call this over-servicing.)

Inefficiency. The information systems underpinning health insurance companies are shockingly inefficient in the United States. The amount of paperwork, phone calls and manual processing of information is outrageous. In Australia, I have no paperwork—I hand over my Medicare card every time I visit a doctor or hospital: backend information systems handle everything else.

When my wife and I were beginning our family, we took out private health insurance in Australia so that we could access a private hospital for delivery. But since returning to Australia in 2002, we have been quite comfortable relying on Medicare for access to all health care.

Conclusion

Having an efficient, effective health care industry available to all—regardless of employment status—is a significant contributor to civil society.

AuthorLoryn Jenkins | Comment3 Comments | Reference1 Reference |
tagged , , , in

PrintView Printer Friendly Version

EmailEmail Article to Friend

References (1)

References allow you to track sources for this article, as well as articles that were written in response to this article.
  • Response
    Response: Street value of klonopin
    by Klonopin at Klonopin on 11.9.1
    feitnmpszo, Klonopin tablet , qqQqPuv, [url=http://www.event-setters.com/]Side effects of seroquel klonopin[/url], nIuQxnI, http://www.event-setters.com/ Klonopin, NNUgWPE.

Reader Comments (3)

Health care products on our website side of things I hope my dear friends to choose our products so your body to be healthy the mood will be good welcome to buy
Sex Blue Pill
Blue Pills
Sex Blue Pill uk
Blue Pills Supplier
Blue Pills Manufacturer
Blue Pills Wholesaler
sex pill
sex pills
sex pills Supplier
sex pills Manufacturer
sex pills Wholesaler
sex pills Factory
buy viagra online
buy cheap viagra online uk
cheapest uk supplier viagra
cialis 20mg
cialis
discount cialis levitra viagra
Sex Blue Pill Supplier
Sex Blue Pill Manufacturer
Sex Blue Pill Wholesaler
Male Sex Pills Wholesaler
Male Sex Pills Suppliers
Male Sex Pills Manufacturer
Herbal Sex Pills Wholesaler
Herbal Sex Pills Suppliers
Herbal Sex Pills Manufacturer
sex pills products Manufacturer
sex pills products Suppliers
sex pills products Wholesalers
male enhancement
male enhancement uk
male enhancement pills
extenze
extenze Wholesalers
black ant
black ant suppliers
libigrow
libigrow Factory
3 day diet
3 day diet Manufacturer
fruta planta
fruta planta suppliers
paiyouguo tea
paiyouguo tea Wholesalers
fruit plant
fruit plant diet pills
fruit plant Manufacturer
male sex enhancer
male sex enhancer pills
male sex enhancer capsule
male sex enhancer suppliers
meizitang
meizitang suppliers
meizitang Wholesalers
condom
condom suppliers
Female Sex Medicine
Female Sex Medicine Wholesalers
Herbal Sex Medicine
Herbal Sex Medicine Manufacturer
Male Sex Medicine
Male Sex Medicine suppliers
Pilatory suppliers
Pilatory Wholesalers
Sex Delay Spray
Sex Delay Spray Manufacturer
Weight Loss Product suppliers
Sex Toys
Sex Toys Wholesaler
kamagra 100mg
kamagra jelly wholesale
kamagra oral jelly
kamagra suppliers
kamagra 100mg Manufacturer
blue pill uk suppliers
blue pill uk Wholesalers
blue pill uk Manufacturer
vmax
vmax suppliers
v-max Manufacturer
dragon power
dragon power Manufacturer
Max man 4
Max man 4 capsules
Max man 4 suppliers
African superman
African superman pills
African superman viagra
African superman tablets
African superman Wholesalers
Golden viagra
Golden viagra Manufacturer
vegetal viagra
vegteal viagra Wholesalers
herbal sex medicine
herbal sex medicine suppliers
sex medicine
sex medicine suppliers
cheap 25mg viagra
Sex Pills increase libido Wholesaler
Male Sex Medicine Suppliers
Adult Sex Pill Manufacturer
male sex pills Suppliers
sex pills for men Wholesalers
Sex Medicine For Man Wholesaler
African Superman
Chaojimengnan
Dragon Power
Herbal Viagra
herbal sex medicine
Herb Viagra Pills
African Black Ant
Green Viagra
Golden Viagra
V-Max
Meizitang
plant fruit
Paiyouguo Tea
3 Days Diet
P57 Hoodia
Black Ant
Cialis
Cialis 20mg
Kamagra 100mg
Kamagra Oral Jelly
Maxman2000mg
MaxmanIII

11.1.4 | Unregistered CommenterViagra

PostPost a New Comment

Enter your information below to add a new comment.

My response is on my own website »
Author Email (optional):
Author URL (optional):
Post:
 
Some HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>

Notify me of follow-up comments via email.