Health care in Australia is provided by both private and government institutions. The federal Minister for Health, currently Sussan Ley, administers national health policy, and state and territory governments administer elements of health care within their jurisdictions, such as the operation of hospitals.
Medicare, administered by the federal government, is the publicly funded universal health care system in Australia which 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 also funded by the federal government which 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.[2]