Summary: Increase In Health Care

The healthcare system in Australia is complex involving many funders and healthcare providers. In 2011 to 2012 the health expenditure in Australia was estimated to have been $140.2 billion, which made up 9.5 percent of gross domestic product in that year (AIHW, 2013). Responsibilities are split between different levels of government, and between the government and non-government sectors. With non-government sources funding for about 30 percent of the total health expenditure each year (AIHW, 2013). Australians make their contribution to their healthcare system through taxes, including the Medicare levy, and through private financing such as private health insurance. Private health insurance in Australia is a voluntary facility for private funding of hospital care and ancillaries. Insurance funds may cover the costs of treatment for private patients in private or public hospitals and can include some services that Medicare does not cover. The Australian governments fund for almost 70 percent of the health expenditure each year (AIHW, 2013). The federal government contributes to approximately two-thirds, while State, Territory and local governments together contribute for the other one-third (AIWH, 2013). As a generalization the Australian government is primarily responsible for the funding of healthcare, through health insurance arrangements and direct payments to the state and territories, while state and territories are primarily responsible

Having access to quality healthcare is major part of one’s life however the cost of care has been on the rise over the past decades and continue to rise every day due to many situation such

The Australian Medicare system is essentially based around private practice and fee-for-service. In England, they have the National Health Service, which is a publicly funded healthcare system, this is the oldest and biggest

One of the issues is the increasing cost of healthcare which is dominating the health policy in U.S. this is accompanied by an increase in spending on healthcare. According to projections by the government, the spending on medical care will continue to rise. U.S spends more money on health care than any other nation globally (Holtz, 2013). The increase in the spending is as a result of improved tools for disease diagnosis, better surgical interventions among others. This raises an issue for the policy makers on the maximum GDP percentage that a country has to spend on healthcare, and whether the nation will afford the cost that is continually growing. In contemplating any change in the health policy, policy makers should consider the cost of the healthcare and the ability of the nation to support that high cost.

Medicare is the publicly funded health care system for everyone in Australia. It exists side-by side with private health care system.

“The amount people pay for health insurance increased 30 percent from 2001 to 2005, while income for the same period of time only increased 3 percent.” (Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation). The rising cost of healthcare is a huge problem in America today. In this paper I will analyze the different issues and causes for the increase in cost.

The purpose of this paper is to review and discuss the current level of national healthcare expenditures and to determine if we as Americans are spending too much on healthcare. The author of this paper will provide examples and solutions where we as a nation should add or cut from the healthcare expenditures. This paper will also detail how the general public's healthcare needs are being paid for, the biggest economic healthcare challenge, why the challenge should be addressed, and how this challenge to be financed.

In the United States, health care has become a huge expense and has threatened the economy; additional measures need to be taken to address the rising cost of care. An individual spends an estimated eight thousand dollars a year in health care expenditures. Therefore, we need to recognize that how a physician reimbursement for payment has a vast impact on the economy and the rising cost of health care.

Healthcare spending growth rate trends show astounding estimates. Since 1960, spending has risen from $27 billion ($143 per capita, 5.1% pf GDP) to amazing $1,678.9 billion ($5,670 per capita, 15.3% of GDP, 2003 data) (HHS, 2005). Recent research estimated that by 2013, healthcare spending will be as high as 18.4% of the Growth Domestic Product. It is important to note that the gradual move from hospital to ambulatory setting has resulted in much higher spending on outpatient hospital services and prescription drugs. The spending growth for these two trends is much higher than the overall healthcare cost growth, which, in fact, increases faster than such important economic indicators as GDP growth, inflation growth, and population growth rates.

One of the greatest changes in healthcare in the past ten years has been the rise of managed care, much to the displeasure of many patients and physicians alike. Managed care arose out of concern about spiraling healthcare costs and was designed to encourage physicians to give patients treatments that were cost-effective out of their own financial interests. "The consumer strategy was directed at imposing some barriers to use by levying various forms of co-insurance. The most common approaches used either deductibles (where the consumer paid the first portion of the bill a technique familiar in other types of insurance) or co-payments (where the consumer paid a portion of the bill and the insurance company the rest) or a combination of both' (Kane et al 1994). Managed care has given health insurance companies an increasingly significant voice in how treatment is administered and allocated. Managed care has proliferated in the past decade despite considerable criticism of the practice of 'nickel and diming' patients as well as the considerable bureaucratic red tape it is has generated. Also, research indicates that healthy, well-insured patients tend to over-consume care without meaningful co-pays but poorer, sicker patients can be deterred even by moderate co-payments and suffer negative health consequences (Kane et al 1994). However, managed care has not gone away and is a reality that all healthcare

United States spend a huge expense on health care that ranks number 1 among all the countries in the world. In comparison, the rank for the health quality is not among top thirty. That difference between cost and effect has always been under debate. In this aspect, government intervention is partly responsible for two reasons of increase in cost. First, given that Medicare and Medicaid offer limited part of the price but commercial insurances can offer

Australia’s Medicare scheme was created in 1984 with the intention of improving access to healthcare for all Australians by providing all in need of treatment with access to adequate healthcare at little or no cost, regardless of age or income. Medicare was introduced by the Federal Government and is Australia’s publicly funded universal health insurance scheme. (Medicare Australia, 2014) Medicare is managed by the Department of Human Services and allows public patients free medical care at public hospitals and free or subsidized care from doctors, specialists and other health professionals, if they’re partaking, such as optometrists. Those who are eligible for Medicare hold an Australian or New Zealand citizenship, have a permanent visa or have applied for a permanent visa and meet certain requirements. The Commonwealth and State and Territory Governments fund Australia’s public hospitals, which aid greatly in providing accessible care. (Medicare Australia, 2014) Medicare additionally provides the Australian community with many strategies that attempt to address the needs of certain groups such as the Child Dental Benefits Schedule, which provides financial aid for primary dental care for children aged 2-17 who meet the necessary requirements. (Human Services, 2014) Medicare also implemented the Medicare Safety Net, which gives eligible families and individuals financial help for out

Medicare acts a universal health care insurance system by allowing all Australian citizens to have access to basic health needs inside of Australia. Medicare provides Australian with the opportunity of gaining access to the public hospital and free consultation at any bulk billing doctor. All though Medicare doesn't cover everything it covers the basic most important things. These include access to the public Medicare aims to promote the principles of social justice by making health care free for all Australians. This enables all people no matter what background to gain access to medical support even if they cannot pay for it. Health care ensures that all people receive basic treatment, not just the rich. This idea shows equity in Australian

The United States and Australia are industrialized countries with English-speaking populations, and they face the challenge of providing citizens with health care coverage. The aim of this paper is to exam the differences and similarities that can be found in both countries with regard to the health care system. Both have government programs such as Medicare, which is designed for the population in different guidelines that determine eligibility, and both populations use private insurance. With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the United States is attempting to cover a large population of those needing health insurance. However, in Australia, the Medicare system covers a larger portion of its population. The rise in cost and spending for health care is dramatically different in both countries. The money spent on health care brings about different data with regards to which country has the best health outcome. The patient-physician relationship in each country is different. The infant mortality rate, obesity, smoking and life expectancy also show how each country differs from each other. The use of electronic health records and ways of containing costs is changing the health care system in each country. The design and effectiveness of each health care system are different, but share some similarities. The effectiveness system brings about different perspectives with regards to health care.

For my top three health care advance I picked motor-vehicle safety, safer and healthier foods and recognition of tobacco use as a health hazard. The bottom two health care advancement was a bit harder to pick from; however, I was able to pick the two I felt least held importance in the matter of health advancements. Those were fluoridation of drinking water and safer workplace.