All About Australian Healthcare

The Australian healthcare system has long been known for being one of the best in the world, with highly developed infrastructure and quality medical care. However, not many know the full details of its systems, who takes part in it and the different types of hospitals available

Keep reading to have all your questions answered about the Australian healthcare system!

What healthcare systems are in place?

In Australia, there are two main healthcare systems to be aware of — the public system and the private system.

The public system is governed by the individual state and territory governments, and consists of public hospitals, government health organisations as well as community-based services. The public healthcare system is also subsidised by the government through Medicare, whereby Australian citizens can access health services and medical prescriptions at lower prices.

In contrast, the private system is governed and owned privately, by private hospitals, medical specialists and commercial healthcare institutions like pharmacies. Private healthcare is funded by both the government (funding approximately 27%) and private entities, including patients themselves. More often than not, the private system is funded by private health insurance (in contrast to the public health system and Medicare).

Private health insurance covers hospital treatments (for private hospitals), ‘extra’ treatments (visits to the dentist and optometrist, physiotherapy sessions, etc.), and ambulance fees.

Who is a part of the healthcare system?

Medical professionals make up the majority of the healthcare system. General practitioners (GPs) are your gateway to the healthcare system, as they are often your first point of contact.

GPs help to diagnose their patients of their general health concerns, and suggest relevant treatment methods as well. In the case that a health concern is too complex or particular for a GP to treat, they will refer patients to a specialist. The state governments subsidise GPs for their work for patients.

Specialists and associated health professionals exist in every form of medicine. Although you will find that most GPs will recommend you to western medicine practices, alternative medicine is also becoming increasingly acknowledged as a viable treatment method. Hence you may also be recommended to visit medical practitioners such as physiotherapists, chiropractors and psychologists if ever need be. Such medical practitioners are better known for their patient-centered, wholistic treatments.

Public or private hospitals?

One of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to the Australian healthcare system is whether or not to visit a public or private hospital. Both are equally viable depending on your circumstances.

Public hospitals will provide patients with high quality medical care at low or even no cost (for Australian citizens with Medicare). However, patients with non-urgent needs will usually have to wait longer for treatment, simply due to the lack of space available. Public hospitals will usually assign doctors to patients (patients do not have a choice) and when receiving treatment, will be placed in shared recovery rooms. Currently, there are approximately 700 public hospitals in Australia.

On the other hand, there are approximately 650 private hospitals in the country. Private hospitals typically offer more customisable and higher quality of life options for patients when receiving treatment. For example, private hospitals may offer patients private rooms, and will allow patients to choose their doctors themselves. There is usually also a reduced waiting time (compared to public hospitals). However as a result of these favourable conditions, medical services at private hospitals can be more costly.

As detailed, both public hospitals and private hospitals are beneficial for different reasons. However, in the case of emergencies, public hospitals are your best choice.

Have other questions you want to ask about the Australian healthcare system? Be sure to visit the Australian health department’s website for more details!