Australian Health Care System

• Published in: Iryo To Shakai Vol. 18; no. 1; pp. 49 - 72
• Main Author: Maruyama, Shiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: The Health Care Science Institute 2008
• Subjects: Australia; Health care system; Health disparities; Private health insurance; Private health providers
• ISSN: 0916-9202; 1883-4477
• DOI: 10.4091/iken.18.49

The Australian health care system features a unique dual system. Private health insurance firms and private health providers have a key role in the system, giving consumers flexible choice and combination of services from the public and private sectors. This dual system sustains the Australian health care system with a good balance of quality, efficiency, and equity. While its U.K. type universal system guarantees the nation affordable quality health care services, people willing to pay extra can enjoy more varieties and amenity, which enhances economic efficiency through better resource allocation. The equity and universal access of health care are secured by the following devices: (1) advanced and emergency health care is provided by free public hospitals, (2) the public system is funded mostly by progressive taxation, and (3) the system has various well-planned safety net schemes for the low-income group. Other notable features in the system include the introduction of cost-benefit analysis, casemix funding for hospitals, and well-developed long term and community care policy for the aged. This article overviews the Australian health care system with a focus on the efficiency and equity implications of the dual system. Despite the high performance of the system, there exist very few surveys of the Australian health care system in Japanese. The system shows a good example of Kongo-Shinryo, the combination of government-covered and non-covered services, so this article will contribute to the ongoing policy debate on Kongo-Shinryo in Japanese health care policy.