The Australian Healthcare System

Almost 70% of health expenditure in Australia is funded by government: The Australian Federal Government sets national health policies and subsidises health services which are provided by State and Territory Governments.

There are two major national subsidy schemes, Medicare and the
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, but many Australians (55% in 2012)
also take out private health insurance, partly as it is tax-efficient to do so. The Australian Government provides a subsidy of approximately 30% to individuals who purchase private insurance, and further incentives include The Private Health Insurance Rebate and The Medicare Levy Surcharge. For further information, a useful Information Kit about Medicare’s programmes and services is available on the Medicare Australia website.

Improving the health status of Australia’s indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples is both a longstanding challenge and a priority for governments in
Australia. The Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH), part of the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, is committed to supporting sustained coordinated action to achieve health improvements over time for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Their vision for the future is health outcomes and health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples equal to
that of the general Australian community, whereas there is currently a gap.

Download our FREE Doctors' Guide for more information on living & working in this beautiful country 

You can also check out all of the positions we currently have available in Australia on our Jobs page.

For further information on this and all of the fantastic locations we recruit to browse the rest of our blog or visit our homepage.