Australia has an ageing population, an ageing population by its very nature dictates a bigger burden than there already is on the health care system. It also means more money will be spent on health care as the progression increases. The privatisation of Medibank will create more competition in the health insurance market; the health insurance business is valued at $4 billion dollars, which would in turn help Australia’s economic position. Privatisation would allow for create a free market and allow for regulation to focus on competition of the market. Prior to the 2007 Australian Federal Election, there was much debate in regards to the privatisation of Medibank, a Government-owned private health insurance company. The Fraser Government established Medibank in 1976 through what was known as the Health Insurance Commission, which is now Medicare Australia. It is the largest of all private health care insurers, provides 30% of the private health care market and has around 3.8 million members (Medibank, 2013). The original intent was for Medibank to be a ‘not for profit’ insurer and to provide competition to the ‘for profit’ health insurers, however in 2009 it was decided by the Government that the insurer would become a ‘for profit’ business, in turn paying taxes on any earnings. In 2014 Tony Abbott’s newly elected Liberal Government prepared to privatize Medibank for $4 billion. As a nation Australia has an ageing population, it has been projected that Australia will see an 80% increase in population by 2050. The 80+ population group will grow by more than 200% or higher which will see 2.8 million Australians in this age group. (Byles, Kowal & Towers, 2014) This increase in the older age groups of the population will in turn... ... middle of paper ... ...ustralian Government decide to be rid of Medicare there is no way that the privatisation of a private health fund, Medibank will see Australia’s healthcare system fall to the same level of the US. Whilst the Government will lose up to $500 million worth of dividends annually, there could be a large reinvestment into the public health system. Medibank was originally seen as a way of funding the health care system. The public healthcare system is now operating at a consistent level and being constantly improved, this privatisation would see an even larger improvement for all Australians, not just those who can finance private healthcare insurance. For a Medibank member there would be minimal change, perhaps even the opportunity to become a shareholder, and Medibank are committed to ensuring that the change over from publicly to privately owned is a smooth transition.
Many policies have shaped Canadian healthcare. In 1962, Saskatchewan enacted the Medical Care Insurance Act (MCIA). The MCIA provided coverage in the province for services provided by physicians. Physicians were allowed to bill the patient for any amount over what the government would pay. Other provinces began considered similar programs. In 1966, the federal government passed the Medical Care Act. Under this act physician services were covered under programs administered at the provincial level. The fees were split at a 50% rate between the federal and provincial governments. Another act, known as the Hospital Act allowed the provinces to develop their own health plans. Some provinces took a more inflexible approach to billing. After these acts were implemente...
It has one of the highest life expectancies in the world. In order to prevent the smallpox epidemic, the early health care developed in Australia was in 1788, after the arrival of Captain Arthur Phillip and the First Fleet with the establishment of NSW public hospital. Eventually, in 1984 a universal public health insurance scheme; Medicare was introduced to provide free or subsidized treatment. A visit to a GP in Australia costs about $50-$80 , when they are sick. About half of the money is reclaimable through a nationwide Medicare insurance Scheme. Whereas, prescribed drugs mostly are funded through Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to the residence of Australia, as well as certain foreign visitors. Moreover, treatment in public hospitals is completely covered by Medicare, though people with private health insurance often choose to use private hospitals. For the people in Australia, Australia’s healthcare is delivered in three different areas such as Hospitals (private and public), Primary health care and other recurrent care (AIHW,
Jacobsen, L. A., Kent, M., Lee, M., & Mather, M. (2001). America's aging population. Population Bulletin, 66(1).
I agree with Heath’s argument that a two-tier health care system is effective as long as it does not undermine the integrity of the public insurance mechanism. The main argument against the two-tier health care system is that doctors will turn away from the public sector to pursue a higher income within a private practice. The concern arises that this will cause a scarcity of doctors within the public sector. I believe this argument is invalid and will discuss throughout this paper why the two-tier system improves upon health care systems in many ways.
The Australian Health Care System is regarded world class for its effectiveness and efficiency. It consists of the mix system of health providers in both the private and public sector. The funding mechanism is highly advantageous to its entire citizen, which consists of the 30% Rebate, Pharmaceutical Benefit and Medicare. In particular, Medicare has been ensuring all Australian nationals with access to free and low cost medical, optometric, hospital care with special option to private health services in special circumstances.
An aging population is indeed a problem for the society and will possibly cause many social and economic difficulties in the future. According to David Foot (2003), professor of Economics at University of Toronto, an effective birth rate of 2.2% against current 1.75% will be necessary to replace the current work force in the near future and the government’s policy of bringing in more immigrants will eventually fail (Foot, 2003, 2). However some people predict that the increased size of an aging population will drive growth in the home, health care, and many other industries resulting in job creation and economic growth (Marketwire, 2013, 1). Majority of the people are of the opinion that the issue will be mainly in the health care and economic activity. As humans age, they start to develop health problems, leading to more visits to a medical clinic putting extra burden on health care system.
The introductory of Canada’s health care system in the mid-20th century, known as Medicare, led the country into the proud tradition of a public health care system, opposite to America’s privatized health care system in the south. Though Canada’s health care system still holds some aspects of a privatized system, it is still readily available for all citizens throughout the nation. After continuous research, it is clear to state that public health care and the association it has with welfare state liberalism is by far a more favourable option for Canada, than that of private health care and the association it has with neo-conservatism. To help understand why public health care is a better and more favourable option for Canada, it is fundamental
The Australian health care system comprises both the public and the private health sub-sectors. The health care system concerns itself with the financing, formulation, implementation, evaluation, and reforming of health services. The main sources of f...
An issue that is widely discussed and debated concerning the United States’ economy is our health care system. The health care system in the United States is not public, meaning that the states does not offer free or affordable health care service. In Canada, France and Great Britain, for example, the government funds health care through taxes. The United States, on the other hand, opted for another direction and passed the burden of health care spending on individual consumers as well as employers and insurers. In July 2006, the issue was transparency: should the American people know the price of the health care service they use and the results doctors and hospitals achieve? The Wall Street Journal article revealed that “U.S. hospitals, most of them nonprofit, charged un-insured patients prices that vastly exceeded those they charged their insured patients. Driving their un-insured patients into bankruptcy." (p. B1) The most expensive health care system in the world is that of America. I will talk about the health insurance in U.S., the health care in other countries, Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, and my solution to this problem.
The existing U.S. population is over 315 million and rising. In the year 2030, 72 million Americans will be 65 or older, a 50 percent change in age demographics since the year 2000. The change is primarily due to the aging baby boomers, who were born at the end of World War II. Americans are living longer than ever befo...
To further understand the US healthcare system and put in context how health coverage is provided to its population it is important to compare the US health system to another country like the Netherlands. In the Netherlands healthcare coverage has been achieved through competitive insurance markets similar to the US and the Dutch government does not control prices, productive capacity or funds but instead only acts as a regulator (Daley & Gubb, 2011). In 2006 the Dutch government held healthcare reforms because the country faced an issue that was very similar to the US, in regards to healthcare coverage inequalities, the population was covered through private and public health insurance, with stable private health insurance for the wealthy and unstable public insurance which lacked patient focus and was inefficient in comparison (Daley & Gubb, 2011). Many factors called for healthcare reformation in the Netherlands like a disarranged structure that ineffectively controlled cream skimming, lack of competitive incentives that for insurance companies resulting in bad performance, and the rising premiums
With increasing concerns of debts and deficits, Canada’s publicly funded health care system has recently become the target of fiscal attack. Efforts to reform and restructure the system have produced few results. Currently, some governments throughout the country are looking towards a more radical approach. An approach that would see not only the reform and restructuring of the method of operation of the current system, but that would change the system entirely. The proposed idea? In Alberta, it is to increase the role of the private sector in the current system.
The Australian government will increase the age pension from 65 to 70 by 2035(Australian Department of Human services [AU]). This announcement has lots of challenges for Australian people who are under 50; some people support the rise and find it beneficial for the future economical life. However, others are against the announcement as it has lots of concerns for their future plan, as they have to work longer to save more for their retirement. The current population ageing put pressure on the young workers who support retirees and their families, at the same time it affect the economic development. So the rise of pension has advantages and disadvantages on the future life standard of most Australians. It is beneficial decision from the government to provide a productive and qualified future life.
With the creation of Medicare in 1966 in order to expand access for the elderly to the American healthcare system, the ways in which medicine and its corresponding industries were conducted were irrevocably changed. Prior to its inception, only 65% of people over 65 actually had proper health insurance, as the elderly paid three times as much for healthcare as young people (Stevens, 1998). The private medical sector had much more control over who they would treat, how much they would charge, and more; the passing of Medicare freed up the elderly to have reasonable access to healthcare as a consequence of a lifetime of paying into the system.
Uhlenberg, Peter. 1992. “Population Aging and Social Policy.” Annual Review, Sociology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.