How Does Australia’s Healthcare System Work?
Hi guys,
Today I would like to write a short post on our healthcare.
To understand it more clearly it’s best to break down the healthcare system in Australia to the public system and the private system.
Public System
If you are an Australian citizen you are obligated to pay taxes.
Part of your taxes go towards funding Medicare which is the government body that monitors and manages our PUBLIC health care system.
In the public healthcare system there are many benefits such as:
- FREE medical care
- FREE or REDUCED costs for medical scans and investigations
- FREE or REDUCED costs for medications and tablets
But, there are some downsides in public health:
- WAITING TIMES for medical care sometimes 1-2 years for surgery!
- NO CHOICE with which doctor/health service you see
- You can only be managed in a public hospital
Private System
Purely by choice, you can choose to pay for any services at your own cost.
You can pay to see a specialist at ANY hospital – both public or private hospitals.
You can choose which medical professional to help you.
You can also choose to pay for private health insurance.
Private health insurance is a service that helps reduce your private health costs which is something that may work for you and your family.
The big difference between the public and private system is the cost.
In the public system there is no direct cost to you (i.e. it’s “FREE”) although it’s paid by your taxes.
In the private health system there is a direct cost to you. Basically you have to pay for it.
Here’s a short video to help understand how our Australian healthcare system works.
#KeepHealthySimple!
Leki