Australian Healthcare System: A Comparative Study with US and France

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AUSTRALIAN HEALTHCARE
Comparative Study
11.Sep.2019

Running Head: HealthCare System
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AUSTRALIAN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
ABSTRACT
Availability of medical services throughout the nation should be mandatory in order to facilitate
proper healthcare to those who need the same. In the recent times, the environment has become
significantly dust prone and polluted causing germs and bacteria to affect everybody’s health
severely. People are becoming less immune towards the environment and the general climatic
conditions prevalent. The aim of this study is to analyse the Australian healthcare system, in
terms of all the financial implications, challenges that it faces, etc. The article is also written to
differentiate the Australian healthcare system from the two other OECD member countries,
amongst which the study has been done for the healthcare system of the United States and
France. The entire analysis exhibits the traits and characteristics of the healthcare system preva-
lent in all the three specified countries. The common problem faced by almost all the countries,
that is, obesity, has also been described in the context below.
INTRODUCTION
Healthcare is the utmost important objective throughout the nation currently. These days people
are becoming less immune and falling sick every now and then. Every country has their own
standard of granting the healthcare services to the commoners. Some are expensive, while some
are affordable. The medical insurance system prevalent everywhere facilitates the easy access to

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the medical services. The system insures the people on the basis of age, and the other health fac-
tors. The system also provides for the cashless treatment when they are acknowledged to the hos-
pitalization of the patient and also the reimbursement policy which is available after the treat-
ment has been provided to the patient.
When surveyed throughout the nation, the Australian healthcare system is thought to be one of
the great systems. Australian healthcare system enables safe, healthy and hygienic care for ev-
eryone. And, most importantly, the health care provided to the patients in Australia is affordable
to all the higher, middle, and the lower class of people. The Australian government also facili-
tates absolutely free and also low-cost access for those requiring the healthcare services. The
healthcare system there provides vast range of services starting from public health and its pre-
ventive measures through the regular medication practice and the community health, along with
the hospital care, rehabilitation and palliative care, emergency health services and the general
health care.("Australian Healthcare System - IMAN Australian Health Plans", 2019)
The major path for health services like consultation involving specialists, hospital admission, in-
house patient regular check and other diagnostic tests, are General Practitioners (GPs) and emer-
gency departments (EDs)
The EDs are the departments that help in treating patients who are in need of the surgical or med-
ical care, which are mostly available in the general public hospitals throughout the country.
The GPs are the ones called for, when certain primary health care is required, that is, at the basic
of illness, maybe fever.

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Though simple, but the funding system of the healthcare system prevalent in the country is way
more difficult, since it includes too many people for funding and the healthcare assistants. The
funding process has to go through various gateways. The Government of Australia takes the re-
sponsibility of the entire healthcare by enabling medical insurance clauses and direct payments
to the States and Territories, who in turn are liable for the direct facility of services. Initiation of
the Universal Benefit Schemes, such as MBS, for the private medical services and PBS for the
pharmaceuticals are undertaken, designed to contribute to the creation of public hospitals bothin
the States and the Territories.(Douglas, Rebeiro, Crisp & Taylor, 2012)
Below given are approximated figures from the year 2001-2002, as per the analysis of the Aus-
tralian Health and Welfare College:
Australian Health
Expenditure
$66.6 billion
GDP 9.3 % Of $ 66.6
billion
Estimated Funds 68.4% of the to-
tal amount spent
on health ser-
vices.