ABSTRACT
Health care provision is included in the social policy area. In modern times, health care provision is one of the major forms of government intervention and policy making. Governments may be involved in the health care system in a variety of ways: directly paying for health care, subsidising individual purchases of health care and health insurance, providing health care services, financing and conducting research, preventing the spread of communicable diseases and regulating drugs and medical devices. In addition, tax concessions are given to encourage the take-up of private insurance. Public health services are provided by all levels of government: local, state, territory and Australian. Private sector health service providers include private hospitals, medical practitioners and pharmacies. Government expenditure on health care is about 67 per cent of the total expenditure on health care.
