Medicare



Around 45% of Australians have private hospital insurance, despite access to free public hospital care through Medicare. One reason so many Australians are privately insured… Read More ›

How Do Government Incentive Policies Affect the Demand for Private Health Insurance in Australia?

Health risk is difficult to insure via private insurance markets. Information asymmetries between buyers and sellers of private insurance plans cause adverse selection and moral… Read More ›

US Health Insurance: Are There Better Ways to Insure Americans?

All Australians are covered by Medicare, which provides free care in public hospitals and subsidises primary care, specialist treatment, and medicines. Despite this, every year,… Read More ›

How Do Older Adults Respond to Private Health Insurance Rebates?

Governments use policy levers to incentivise desired population behaviours. ‘Sticks’ punish ‘undesirable’ behaviours, while ‘carrots’ reward favoured behaviours. Within Australia’s private health insurance system, tax… Read More ›

The Stick or the Carrot: Which Is More (Cost-)Effective for Supporting Private Health Insurance Coverage?

An equitable healthcare system, where each patient receives equal treatment regardless of socio-economic status (SES) is an important public policy goal. A key question is… Read More ›

Socio-Economic Disparities in American Healthcare Spending: The Role of Public vs Private Insurance

The 2017-18 federal budget delivered this week was politically pragmatic and clever (not tricky), but economically risky. It looks as though Malcolm Turnbull and his… Read More ›

Budget Forum 2017: Federal Budget Is Politically Pragmatic But Economically Risky

Following the abandonment of a string of controversial copayment policy proposals (i.e., the ‘$7 copayment’ and its equally ill-fated successors), medical stakeholders have maintained strong… Read More ›

Introducing a GP Copayment in Australia: Who Would Carry the Cost Burden?

top