Re: Australian Healthcare

On Sun, 9 Dec 2007 19:09:11 -0800 (PST), Lerp
<diabeticlerp@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Just curious -

How does healthcare work in Australia? Is it the same as America where
it is private and operates on free enterprise or do you have
socialized medicine? In the US, there is a lot of clamouring for
socialized healthare but I don't think we really want that. I have
heard folks from Canada say they dislike the socialized medicine.

Specifically, do you have to see a GP to get referals to endos,
podiatrists, etc?

To answer your last question first, yes. But I have never
had a referral request refused and the doctor's visit costs
me nothing.

Our system is complex. In broad terms, the Federal
Goevernment funds Health, including our Medicare which is
totally different to your Medicare. The only thing in comon
is the name. The State Governments are allocated funds to
operate most of the Public Hospitals and also to train and
employ the Hospital medical staff. Much of the funding comes
from the Medicare Levy:
http://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/content.asp?doc=/content/17482.htm

I have private health Insurance in addition to being covered
by Government Medicare and, for some things, Veterans
Affairs. The private cover gives me the option to use a
doctor and private Hospital of my choice if needed. The main
advantage of that at the moment would be minimisation of
delays for "elective" (non-immediately-life-threatening)
treatment. Top cover costs about $200 per month.

That's a very simplified version of it.

I don't know anyone living under socialised medicine. It's a
pejorative term not used here.

Our system here has all sorts of problems; I'll list them
sometime. Jan, Rod and others from Oz can add to the list.
It's a mix of public (NOT socialised, whatever that means)
and private health systems. It's not perfect and the public
part is having major problems right now in my State.

To put it in context, several years ago I had a kidney
stone. I spent 8 hours in the ER of a public hospital. After
the stone passed I was checked out, no charge. Nor were
there any charges for follow-up visits to the urologist,
other specialists, x-rays etc.

A few years later I had a minor surgery. The wait for a
cost-free public hospital was about two months and I would
have been placed in a 4-bed ward. I elected to use my
private insurance; the surgery, all the associated
pathology, x-ray etc and the 3-day hospital stay in a
private room cost about $500 IIRC.

When I visit the doc it usually costs me nothing, for
specialists there is a small copay. I can visit any doc I
choose to, but need a referral from a doc to a specialist.

Meds are covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, PBS.
Subsidisation means that most prescription meds cost from
about $5 for a pensioner to about $30 for others. Diabetes
supplies are covered by the NDSS system within medicare. All
diagnosed diabetics who qualify for medicare are covered:
http://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/ndss/
If you read the prices here you'll see what I mean:
http://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/_lib/doc_pdf/ndss/Order_Form_DA102.pdf

As a diabetic leukemic with periodontal disease and
hypogammaglobulinemia, who is a self-funded retiree, who has
travelled through over 30 countries and chatted to people
about health in many of them I am bloody glad I am a citizen
of my country and I have no desire to emigrate.


Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia.
d&e, metformin 1500mg, ezetrol 10mg
Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter.
--
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com
Latest: The Diabetes Revolution?
.

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