Medicare in Australia: A Comprehensive Overview

This presentation provides a comprehensive overview of Medicare, a welfare program that provides universal healthcare to Australian citizens and permanent residents. It covers its history, definition, functions, and importance. Medicare is a public program that avails free medical services in public hospitals and some private medical institutions and medical professionals. Its primary role is funding primary health care for Australian citizens and permanent residents. The program makes basic health care services accessible to all citizens and permanent residents, regardless of their financial resources. Improved health care results in overall economic growth and development in Australia.

MEDICARE IN AUSTRALIA

INTRODUCTION
 Welfare systems and policies are government
programs extended to the citizens in line
with a particular criteria or need, to improve
the need or particular condition (Dwyer,
Shaw 2013). This is usually through offering
of incentives or payments to that particular
group either directly or by funding of services
they are entitled to.

 There are numerous welfare systems in Australia
covering a cross section of the citizens, but some
of the majorly known ones are Medicare,
Centrelink which offers payments to the retired,
unemployed the disabled and students among
other vulnerable members of the society, and
Veteran affairs which offers welfare policies for
members of defence units in Australia and their
dependents. They are government funded with a
national budget allocated to them and are
accessible by the Australian citizens and
permanent residents(Dwyer, Shaw 2013) .
 Medicare will be the welfare policy on focus in this
presentation:

BRIEF HISTORY OF MEDICARE
 Medicare was conceived from Medibank, a
health insurance plan which had started
being developed in 1972 as a bill by the
Whitlam Labor Government and kicked its
official operations in 1975. This was in
response to the large population of
Australians mostly low income earners, who
lacked health risks cover. Medibank was thus
renamed Medicare in the year 1984 after
several amendments in health related acts
were passed (Willis, Reynolds & Keleher
2012).

DEFINATION
 Medicare is a welfare program that provides
universal healthcare to the citizens. It is a
public program that avails free medical
services in the public hospitals and also
some private medical institutions and
medical professionals. For the private
medical providers, they have to be
authorized and given a Medicare provider
number. This program is run by the
Department of Human Services in
Australia(Willis, Reynolds, Keleher 2012).

FUNCTIONS OF MEDICARE
 The program’s primary role is funding the
primary health care for Australian citizens
and permanent residents even those at the
Norfolk Island, normally known as rebates or
benefits.
 medicare is areas of coverage are subdivided
into four categories namely part A, B, C and
D.
 Part A is the hospital insurance and covers
hospice, admitted patients, nursing facilities
and medically prescribed home health care.
 Part B is the medical insurance cover. A
person is able to receive the following

 Doctor consultations and laboratory services
 Vaccines
 Outpatient services and limited home health care
 Radiology services such as x-rays
 Outpatients who need mental health care
 Ambulance services and long term medical
equipment.
 Part C which is also referred to as Medical
Advantage cover prescription drugs but in
particular medicare advantage prescription drugs
plans (MA-PDs). It also covers services offered
under the original medicare with the exception of
hospice services.

 Part D takes care of prescription drugs just
like part D. The difference however is that for
part D, private insurance companies who
have been given contracts by Medicare are
the channels through which the cover is
delivered.

IMPOTANCE OF MEDICARE
 The program makes basic heath care
services accessible by all citizens and
permanent residents. Low income earners in
particular are able to enjoy their basic right
to health even with their limited financial
resources.
 The continued progress in provision of
universal heath care continues to
demonstrate the government’s good will and
concern of its citizens.
 Improved health care results in overall
economic growth and development in
Australia. Healthy citizens are able to provide
sufficient manpower.

REFLECTION AND CONCLUSION.
 Medicare as a welfare system is important
because it has ultimately lead to enhanced
and healthy lives of the beneficiaries. It has
brought socio economic balance in the
society as well because the low income
earners can access the same services which
the high income earners afford
(Stewart ,2017).
 The Australian government can be
commended so far for continuously aiming to
improve the universal health care program
for the citizens and permanent residents.

REFERENCES
 Willis, E., Reynolds, L. & Keleher, H.
(2012). Understanding the Australian health
care system. Chatswood, N.S.W: Churchill
Livingstone.
 Stewart, M. (2017). Tax, social policy and gender
: rethinking equality and efficiency. Canberra,
A.C.T: ANU Press.
 Dwyer, P. & Shaw, S. (2013). An introduction to
social policy. Thousand Oaks, CA London: Sage.
 Jamrozik, A. (2009). Social policy in the post-
welfare state: Australian society in a changing
world. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W: Pearson Education
Australia.