Medicare is a publicly funded universal health care scheme in Australia. Operated by the government authority Medicare Australia, Medicare is the primary funder of health care in Australia, funding primary health care for Australian citizens and permanent residents (except for those on Norfolk Island). Residents are entitled to subsidised treatment from medical practitioners, eligible midwives, nurse practitioners and allied health professionals who have been issued a Medicare provider number, and can also obtain free treatment in public hospitals. The plan was introduced in 1975 by the Whitlam Government as Medibank, and was supplemented in 1976 by a government-owned private health insurance fund, Medibank Private, established by the Fraser Government. Medibank was renamed Medicare in 1984.
Health care in Australia is provided by both private and government institutions. The federal Minister for Health, currently Sussan Ley, administers national health policy, elements of which (such as the operation of hospitals) are operated by state governments.
Medicare is the publicly funded universal health care system in Australia and was instituted in 1984. It coexists with a private health system. Medicare is funded partly by a 2% Medicare levy[1] (with exceptions for low-income earners), with the balance being provided by government from general revenue. An additional levy of 1% is imposed on high-income earners without private health insurance. As well as Medicare, there is a separate Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme that considerably subsidises a range of prescription medications. The funding model for health care in Australia has seen political polarisation, with governments being crucial in shaping national health care policy
Community Health Australia is a founding member of the International Federation of Community Health Centres (IFCHC).
Our founding partners include the National Association of Community Health Centers (USA), the Canadian Association of Community Health Centres and the European Forum for Primary Care.
This international partnership is committed to advancing community health by promoting:
advocacy at national, state and local levels
adoption of the community health model of care
alignment of this model with the World Health Organization's vision for primary care
a research and evidence base that underscores the value of community health.