ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of current arrangements of the Australian health care system, as a context for the discussion of selected policy issues by other contributors. A secondary contextual objective is to indicate the extent to which the problems and reform issues engaging policy-makers in Australia are manifestations of factors common to advanced developed countries and how much they are the product of domestic characteristics. The Australian health care system is characterised by a blend of public and private sectors, in both the funding and provision of health care services. The strengths of publicly financed health systems in comparison with the USA are that they have been successful in achieving cost containment at the macro level, guaranteeing universal insurance coverage for medically necessary care and linking financing arrangements with ability to pay. The Australian health care system reflects the strengths of other publicly financed systems in this respect.
