Socialised health care, Australia style

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

This is a FYI snapshot of a fairly typical person (me, nearly 65) accessing health care in Australia in 2025.

Been feeling a bit crook, attended my General Practitioner (GP) who referred me for various tests and scans a couple of months ago. No out of pocket costs, except for some medications which added up to app $7.40 (AUD) each. Also referred to a specialist right here in my town, but alas, was not able to get an appointment until mid June this year.

In the meantime, my condition deteriorated, so I attended the local hospital (accredited teaching hospital) and after a couple of hours in Emergency, was admitted as a patient for ongoing care.

Two nights in hospital, more tests, blood tests each morning, more EKGs, CT scans, xrays, medications provided, meals, toiletries provided if needed, a follow-up consult from a Care Provider to allow me to access home-help during my convalescence, frigging fabulous and caring staff on all levels and I’m feeling MUCH better and home again.

Cost to me for my hospital stay and affiliated services? $0.

Now that is not to say that ‘health care’ in Australia is free. We pay a percentage of our taxable income (which I did for nearly 40 years) as a ‘Medicare Levy’. Every taxpayer pays it. It goes into a communal fund and allows for the best of medical treatment for every person in this country.

It’s not perfect. For people with chronic conditions, sometimes the wait-times can seem arduous. But if, for example, you are in a serious car accident or are acutely ill with some other condition, the ‘system’ doesn’t care whether you earn $1 million a year, or are a homeless person: you will receive the same dedication and quality of medical care regardless in a PUBLIC HOSPITAL.

2

I think Medicare works kinda like that here.

I don’t see anything really odd in your experiences.

The problem in the US is we have so many medical care deserts. In Arkansas our population has aged significantly so doctors working on the elderly are very busy. Yeah wait times are crazy.

3

It absolutely does not, even aside from the minimum age requirement. Medicare is a nightmare of alphabet soup of different “parts” and is not free and also has severe limitations. My head spins whenever I try to understand it and all its different options. Real UHC is simple: simply no-cost, unconditional, with no limitations. If you need health care, you get it. End of story.

4

Are the entire US population covered by Medicare?

Here in the UK, I’ve paid taxes towards the NHS all my working life. Not onerous.
In exchange, I get free health treatment.

This has included ambulance rides (you pay for that in the US?! :astonished:); bile duct removal and a full week in hospital treating liver sepsis…

5

One difference, and probably the main one, is that every citizen in Australia can access Medicare, regardless of their employment or income status.

Now some higher income folks like to take out private health insurance, just so that for chronic health conditions they would be able to access treatment more quickly.

But as I said in the OP. If you perchance happen to be in an accident, suffer a severe medical emergency, get caught short going into labour yada yada, no matter your wealth, you WILL be taken to a public hospital and you will NOT charged for the
medical care/surgery/hospital costs provided.

6

Well, ok.
All insurance is paid for by someone.
Workers in the US pay into social security at retirement they sign up. Actually it’s pretty simple.
Mr.Wrekker got a letter.
He went to the SS office signed up.
Called his guy, the guy told him buy Part B(I believe) they deduct the cost from his Social security benefits.

You can get way into the weeds on it. Especially if you’re disabled or on Medicade.

He’s had no problem navigating it. He gripes about it like everyone does.
The Covid lock downs caused problems. But I believe that was the norm, worldwide.

Yes our Medical and healthcare problems are as big as anywhere. Especially if you’re living on the edge.

Costs are up. Doctors are getting scarcer, especially in rural areas. Our county hospitals are struggling.
Prescription prices are astronomical.
Appointments are difficult to get for non-emergent issues.

I don’t think our Social security program caused all that.

Now, when or if Trump pulls back on Social security lots of people will suffer. Especially the really poor and disabled.

(My insurance, which is private covers ambulance rides)

If you are on Medicade you are covered for as long as you qualify. It’s for the very poor and children. It also covers nursing home care for indigent or when you have no assets.
Most people pay for Insurance thru their work or the Obama-care.
Yes we have our problems. With the right people in office it could be fixed.

7

Beck, do you have a vague inkling about how universal health care works? There are no ‘tiers’. One does not need to sign up for it, it just is.

8

Sure they do. Sometimes thousands of dollars.

Here in Ontario you may get billed $45 for an ambulance, but there are a large number of exemptions where you don’t have to pay anything.

OTOH, if the ER doctor questions why you called for an ambulance to take you to Emergency just because you have the sniffles, you will be billed $240 for the ride. Which is fair. But still not thousands! Thousands of dollars for an ambulance ride is American capitalism at its finest nadir.

9

I know what that is. No we don’t have universal healthcare.
An error some time ago, I believe.

But we got what we got.

Tiers are not a problem. Going to an office signing a paper isnt a problem. In fact I believe you can do it online now.

I have gotten about as good of care as you can recieve anywhere. In this US of A. I shoulda been dead awhile ago.
My husband can get his care as needed, no problem. We are not a normal case.
I know lots of people have serious issues.

It’s not all doom and gloom.
I access American healthcare 3 times aweek for an invasive procedure. I have in-home care. So I know, firsthand what our healthcare can do.

10

Ambulance rides? You’re going with Ambulance rides?

Let me explain. Ambulances are(probably most if not all) are private companies.
They charge their fee by what hospitals they have contracts with.

If you have insurance, your insurance company should(and will) whittle that down for you, so they can cover it on your plan.

Where these exorbitant fees people get charged come from is people who are uninsured and the Ambulance was sent to get them from the side of the road or an accident scene.
Yeah, they gonna get the full bill in the mail. Which they’ll never pay.

It’s a business.
Don’t believe all the YouTube vids showing these giant Ambulance ride bills.

It’s mostly not so true.

It amazes me what people will believe.

11

Beck, why are you commenting in this thread when you really have no clue what you are defending?

12

Ok. I’ll shut up.
I’m defending my care. And many people I know.

I’m very happy your experiences were pleasant and you’ve gotten the care you deserve in Australia.
Stay well, down under.

My experiences up here are good, too.
Just sayin’

13

See, this is part of your myopic America-centric view of the world.

Here in Ontario – and probably much of the world – emergency services are operated by public agencies, not private companies. In Ontario, ambulance services are funded by public municipalities.

This.

To which I will add this question: Beck, I love you dearly as a contributor to the Dope, but sometimes you don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ll ask you this: you seem content with your health care, and that’s terrific and I’m genuinely happy for you – but what would your health care be if you had no money to pay for it – for insurance, for co-pays, for anything? See, “universal” health care is universal as a moral principle. It’s not “great health care as long as it’s great for me”.

14

We haven’t gotten to moral healthcare here.
I agree with that.

If you are poor or disabled, a child and need healthcare you get on Medicade. Covers everything- $0.(for now, Trump is trying to stop it, I hear)

Answer this, are the taxes that cover Universal Healthcare expensive?

15

MORAL health care?? Really? Are you that person?

16

I was responding to Wolfpup saying Universal healthcare was a moral principle. I’ve never put those words together in my life.
It intrigues me though.

17

In Australia, the Medicare Levy is approximately 3% of your taxable income. So for a person earning 100k per year, the levy will be $3000. Simple. Per ANNUM, not per month.

For low income earners, people on social benefits etc, there is probably no cost at the end of the day. It’s income tested, and the simplest system in the world.

18

Sounds like it’s simple.

Is it perfect?

19

Refer to my OP Beck. I said it ain’t perfect, but it’s the most perfect that I’ve experienced in my lifetime. Is your’s?

20

Well, isn’t that good to know! :roll_eyes: