How does Australian Health Systems work?

If you are planning to settle in Australia then you should first know about the healthcare system. Basically, Australia’s healthcare system is a network of Commonwealth and State Government-funded services and services funded by private health insurance. 

So, how do doctors, physiotherapists, optometrists, dentists, and other health professionals fit into this network of public and private health services? Which are the services that are funded by the governments and which are privately funded? Keep reading until the end to understand more about the Australian healthcare system. 

National Health Act

The National Health Act was generally passed in 1953 to regulate the provision of pharmaceutical, sickness and hospital benefits for medical and dental services. This Act covers nursing homes, Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and registration of the health funds. 

Bulk-Billing

When the doctor accepts the Medicare benefit which is about 85-100% of the Schedule fee as full payment for the services used. You don’t have to pay the gap. 

Generally, if you are bulk-billed then your Medicare card will be used and you have to sign a form. That means you do not have to pay anything as the doctors recover 85-100% of the Schedule fee directly from Medicare as payment for your services. 

Today, Medicare provides extra payment to the doctors in eligible areas every time they bulk-bill pensioners, health care cardholders, and teens aged 16 and under. 

So, whenever you wish to use Medicare services, you just need to find  bulk-billing doctors on the Gold Coast. 

Medicare

Since 1984, the Commonwealth Government’s universal health insurance scheme is Medicare. Medicare is basically a healthcare practice which provides Australian people with free treatment in a public hospital and free or subsidized treatment for optometrist, dental care, some psychology services, and treatment

While in some cases, Medicare can offer rebate that is available for a certain number of treatments are allied by health professionals such as physiotherapists, dietitians, and speech pathologists. 

Medicare is partially funded by an income tax surcharge which means Australians taxpayers earning over a certain threshold pay a Medicare levy. 

Medicare pays certain benefits to the user for various healthcare costs like:

• Doctors’ and specialists’ consultation fees
• Tests and examinations ordered by a doctor
• Eye tests carried out by optometrists
• And most of the surgical procedures

While for people with chronic and complex care needs, Medicare offers rebates for visits to allied health professionals including physiotherapists, psychologists, dietitians, and occupational therapists. However, you can claim only a certain number of visits per year. Although, the allied health professionals must be registered with Medicare. 

While you can get a rebate for a certain number of dentist visits per year for people with chronic conditions and complex care needs. 

Medicare Schedule fee

Medicare benefits that are based on a list of standard fees for medical services are called ‘Schedule fees’. 

Doctors can still set their own fees for consultations and procedures despite these schedule fees. They are covered by the Trade Practices Act. Some doctors also follow the Australian Medical Association’s list of suggested fees. This list has been indexed to keep up with costs and recommends higher fees than the Medicare Schedule fees. 

Benefits of Medicare

General Practice

Medicare now rebates 100% of the Schedule fee for most general practice consultations such as interactions with your doctor in which he or she asks you questions, examines you and discusses a plan of treatment and more. 

While you will still need to pay a certain amount as many doctors charge more than the Schedule fee. 

Wrapping Up

The above mentioned are some of the benefits that you can avail at Strathpine medical centre. You can visit Medicross Medical which is a medical centre from where you can avail tons of medical services.