Kim67

Yep I agree - we see doctors publicly but have private health insurance, the gap fees to see them in their private rooms or for speciality care such as anaesthesiology are crippling.

Wol

Wol here! I've just come up against this thread after coming out of hospital (again) yesterday.

I feel as if I've got Munchausen.s syndrome, the number of procedures I've had over the last ten years and, as you say, it COSTs, regardless of being insured.

I don't think the Australian Medicare system is any better or worse than anywhere else, actually. Health care is basically unaffordable worldwide in the long term until governments get a grip on legal claims, specialists' fees and drug companies' prices.

The one thing that really grates about Medicare is the seemingly random nature of the charges: sometimes you will be bulk billed, more often than not, not - from the same provider. And the reclaim amounts are tiny in most cases compared with the charges.

Beoz

That goes for private health too. Been going to the physiotherapist recently. Their fee is the same but the claim on the private health care varies with each visit.

Good old Australia hey ...... Lets make everything as complex as possible.

Wol

>> Lets make everything as complex as possible. <<

Nail on the head. I cannot get over the number of things that Australia has "taken" from other countries, "modified" and made either less workable or more complicated for no gain whatsoever.

knockoff nige

How does Canada do it so we'll then? Or am I being naive? They seem to have an all inclusive cover under public health care. Why can Australia not have that?

If I was to be allowed to pay 5% of my salary towards my public health cover and be covered for any eventuality! I think I'd not only be ok with that, I'd have peace of mind and more willing to take good care of myself knowing that the government want me to be healthy. Surely health comes before everything else. That's not the message I'm hearing from this government who would prefer you'd **** off and get more cover elsewhere.

Beoz

Possibly the first thread on BE where everyone agrees on something.

Swerv-o

Yes, I've always maintained that if there's a complicated, difficult and long winded way for doing anything, you can pretty much guarantee the Aussies have found it, enshrined it in law, and then represented it as 'world class'



France too - medical costs are set by law, and specialists have to refer their costs to a central board for monitoring. Everybody knows what they are paying in advance, and the more ill you are then the less you pay.


S

Amazulu

Agree that Australian insurance system is a mess but both France and Canada are grappling with health care funding problems. My very good friends in British Columbia are constantly complaining about the system there - waiting to see a doctor, get an operation etc

This is major problem worldwide not just in Australia

Swerv-o

This is true - and you (or somebody else) hit the nail on the head - the three main drivers are unregulated specialists fees, litigation and pharmaceutical costs.

But the big question is what to do about it - how do we keep these costs down?


S

knockoff nige

Sure but paying more isn't really the problem for me or for most people I would think. If we were guaranteed full cover with no out of pocket expenses for a higher tax rate, I think we'd be glad of it. Imagine not worrying about the cost of a procedure because you've paid your way, you are covered.

Maybe someone needs to put a figure on what full cover would cost, and not from an insurance company but a non bias review of how it would be for an average person and whether that could in fact cover the cost of the population if it's calculated on an average person. That might bring to light the holes in the system and make the government think in terms of making health cover more efficient rather than trying to push it away or milk us for more money for a service that is declining in quality.

Swerv-o

Perhaps if we weren't intent on wasting many tens of billions of dollars on worthless defence spending, then we would have more money for Medicare in the first place.



S

knockoff nige

It looks to me like the defence forces are all this government care about or are proud of.

JoeBloggs80

To go against the grain, its only my personal experiences but I've got nothing but good things to say about the Aus Healthcare system.

The Private Insurance thing is stupid, I only signed up for the tax break, but I've claimed back more than I've spent every year.

A close family friend was just diagnosed with cancer and had 7 weeks of intensive chemo/radio therapy straight away for free.

Know lots of people who have had kids through the public system for free and had great service.

Sounds like I've been lucky.

Swerv-o

The public system is good - I have had a number of hospitalisations since I have moved here, and have never wanted for care or treatment. But I have always used the public system, because I don't want to cripple myself for years paying back the money I owe for the gap payments.

And I dare say that there are lots of people who feel this way too - particularly for my non-life threatening issues.

It wouldn't surprise me if we eventually moved to a scenario where, for policy holders, use of 'insurance' became mandatory.


S

Swerv-o

Well, allegedly. But can anybody explain to me why they have decided to base our Poseidon maritime patrol craft in Adelaide instead of Darwin?

Have a look at this map - the range of the poseidon at both bases is shown. Who's going to be attacking us from the Southern Ocean? Japanese whalers?

Poseidon patrol ranges

This is just an utterly barking decision.


S