Summary of the Healthcare System in Australia
The healthcare system in Australia is complex but offers comprehensive coverage for all its citizens. The government funds public healthcare services through taxes, medicare, private insurance, and out-of-pocket payments by individuals. The system is divided into three components: public, private, and complementary health systems (Cosgrave et al.,2019). However, socioeconomic determinants of health, such as the gender gap, make the system unable to provide adequate care. Therefore, the proposal aims to improve the health system in Australia by addressing the current issues, such as poor primary care, and outlining solutions, including telehealth and funding.
The governance of the healthcare system in Australia is complex and involves multiple levels of administration. The federal government must fund and distribute healthcare services and report on their performance (Dixit & Sambasivan, 2018). State and territory councils are responsible for delivering healthcare services within their jurisdictions, including hospital services, public health, and other systems.
The Australian healthcare system has four main components, including primary, secondary, tertiary care, and community services. Primary care services include general practitioners, nurses, allied health professionals, and integrated health services (Dixit & Sambasivan, 2018). These services are generally provided in a community setting, such as a general practitioner’s clinic, pharmacy, or local health center. Secondary care services include specialist medical and surgery, mainly in hospitals. Tertiary care services include complex specialist services in specialized hospitals, such as organ transplantation. Community health includes home care, aged care, disability, and mental health services.
Structure of Financing
The Australian healthcare system is funded mainly by the federal government, with national and local management providing additional funding for specific services. The Federal Government funds most public hospitals, aged care, and primary care services (Hill et al., 2022). These services are funded through various programs, including the Medicare Benefits Schedule, Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, and the National Disability Insurance System.
Some laws, regulations, and standards govern various Australian healthcare systems. The National Health Act of 1953 outlines the rights and responsibilities of health service providers and sets out the requirements for public health services (Hill et al., 2022). The Health Insurance Act of 1973 regulates private health insurance (Hill et al., 2022). The National Health Performance Framework sets out the standards and quality of care that should be provided, and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency is responsible for regulating clinicians. In addition to public and private funding, philanthropy is an essential source of funding for healthcare in Australia (Hill et al., 2022). Charity organizations provide funding for research, medical equipment, and services for those who cannot access or afford to pay.
Evaluation of Healthcare Financing, Equity and Efficacy of Health System
Australia has a mixed health system, funded through a combination of public and private funding. Healthcare in the public system is billed through taxation, with the Australian government providing the majority of health funding (Dixit & Sambasivan, 2018). This includes compensations made through the Medicare system, which provides free public hospital care and subsidized medical costs for all Australian citizens.
The private health system is primarily funded by private health insurance and provides a range of services not covered by the public system. While private health insurance is not compulsory in Australia, most citizens have it to access private hospitals and specialist care (Hill et al., 2022). The diversity in healthcare financing creates a significant barrier to promoting health equity since private healthcare is provided by private health insurers and is generally more expensive than public health (Dixit & Sambasivan, 2018). Commercial health insurance covers a range of services, including hospital coverage, extra covers such as dental and optical services, and other services such as physiotherapy and psychology (Dixit & Sambasivan, 2018). At the same time, the public system is limited, which creates healthcare inequality for the uninsured or the unemployed since they have to rely on government subsidies (Hill et al., 2022). This situation limits the efficacy of this healthcare strategy, calling for a new improvement to promote equity and quality.
Perspectives of Healthcare Workers
The Australian healthcare system has a positive national culture towards healthcare workers, with evidence of retention and pay indicating investment in their well-being. Health workers are highly valued and respected for their vital role in providing medical care to the community, and the government has committed to creating a more equitable healthcare system (Cosgrave et al., 2019). The Australian government has invested in increasing wages for health workers (Hill et al., 2022). However, studies reveal that Australia will face a workforce shortage of 400,000 health workers by 2050 unless reforms are established (Hill et al., 2022). The most common issues affecting workers include burnout, dissatisfaction, work-life imbalance, work safety, and inadequate supplies and equipment (Dixit & Sambasivan, 2018). All these issues significantly affect the workers, creating distress in the proper staffing.
The Australian government has also implemented a range of initiatives to improve the retention of health workers. These include the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme, which seeks to ensure the highest standards of care and safety for patients (Hill et al., 2022). In addition, the government has implemented a range of measures to improve working conditions, such as increasing access to flexible working arrangements and providing additional mental health and well-being support. The Australian healthcare system has a positive national culture toward healthcare workers (Hill et al., 2022). The government has demonstrated a commitment to investing in the well-being of health workers, with evidence of increased pay and improved working conditions. This financial commitment has resulted in improved retention and job satisfaction for healthcare workers, indicating improvement in inclusivity.
Comparison of Healthcare Access by Gender
Research has found significant differences between health outcomes and access to healthcare across gender and location in Australia. For example, data reveals that life expectancy for women is at 84.6 years, while for men is 80.5 years (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2019). This factor is contributed by the fact that men are prone to chronic conditions such as coronary diseases, which require adequate care. Similarly, 1 in 40 men experiences delayed seeing when they need primary care service due to gender disparity and cost reasons (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2019). Therefore, the differences can be attributed to various factors, including differences in access to healthcare, socioeconomic status, lifestyle factors, and cultural factors.
Suggestions to Improve the Health System
One of the areas for improvement in the Australian healthcare system is the need for access to primary care services. Social determinants of health such as poverty widen the gap in health equity, with men suffering the most. This is especially problematic for those with chronic health conditions who require regular care. A suggestion to improve the health system in Australia is to invest more in primary care services to make them affordable, accessible, and equitable (Hill et al., 2022). This improvement could include increased funding to rural and urban areas to build new medical centers or increased funding for existing centers to improve the availability of services (Hill et al., 2022). Providing more telehealth services in rural areas to allow people to access care without any boundaries is integral in equalizing healthcare services. These measures would help to improve the accessibility of care for those living in rural and remote areas.
References
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2019). The health of Australia’s females, how does the health of females and males compare? Australian Government. Web.
Cosgrave, C., Malatzky, C., & Gillespie, J. (2019). Social determinants of rural health workforce retention: a scoping review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(3), 314. Web.
Dixit, S. K., & Sambasivan, M. (2018). A review of the Australian healthcare system: A policy perspective. SAGE open medicine, 6, 2050312118769211. Web.
Hill, M., Smith, E., & Mills, B. (2022). Work‐based concerns of Australian frontline healthcare workers during the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 46(1), 25-31. Web.