Hi Sally I've missed you

We have a public health system called medicare which is funded by our Federal Government through our income tax.  This medicare system allows people to have medical services either for free, or with a small additional outlay depending on the treatment.

We can choose to enter a hospital as a medicare patient which means it costs us nothing, BUT we don't get to choose our doctor, you become a patient of which ever doctor is rostered to look after medicare patients. Living in a country community I have a greater chance of getting my doctor, or one from the same pratice.

As far as surgery goes, we have a waiting list, and the government will pay specialists for so many surgeries per week on medicare patients.  Depending on which hospital that doctor has surgical privelidges, and how long the waiting list is.  Sometimes you don't have to wait very long at all, while other things can be as long as a 12 month wait for your turn to come up.

If you earn up to $80 000 (combined income), you don't have to pay the gap between medicare and the doctors fee. It also allows to pay a small charge for medication, $3.50 instead of $20 to $30 depending on the drugs.  Everyone also has the opportunity to get on the "free list" for prescription medicine after you have paid up to a certain amount from January to December of a year, once you reach that, you get a card & when you have your prescription made up, you aren't charged for it.

We also have private health cover, which allows you to use private or public health facilities, you get to choose your doctor, and generally there is a shorter waiting time for surgeries.  The older you are when you join a healthcare company, the more you pay each week.  Private health care is very expensive, and when you go to hospital, there is always a gap to pay between what the doctors actual charges are and what your health fund is willing to pay.  We don't have the restrictions on what procedures etc are covered...at least it seems a little different to me going on the coments & drama's getting health insurers to pay for consultations & surgeries.

Many people who have private health cover still opt to be admitted to hospital as a public patient, because there is little difference in rooms or treatment, private patients get a huge bill on discharge, medicare patients just walk away....

The government is trying to change that trend because we have a larger aging population, and our system isn't going to cope with the larger number of seniors needing medical treatment.

Well, thats a very crude and loose way to explaining our health system.  No-one is denied medical treatment, sometimes we have to wait.  Serious medical problems are given priority however.

Hope you are doing OK Sally, I haven't managed to catch you for a while on ICQ...looking forward to our next chat.

Love & gentle warm hugs

Jo (Australia)