How Medicare-For-All Works In Australia

As Democratic candidates fight for the party's 2020 presidential nomination, one of the biggest policy divides is the role of private health insurance. Many countries provide government funded universal health care while offering secondary private insurance. One country that’s frequently overlooked: Australia. Watch the video above to learn more about how Australia’s health-care system works and how it compares with the United States’.

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How Medicare-For-All Works In Australia

[ginao]

Australian here.
10 years ago my mother was diagnosed with a brain tumour. She had neurosurgery, and stayed in hospital for a week to recover (2 nights in ICU, 5 nights on the ward)

The full cost of the surgery was over $250k. Wanna know what my parent paid under our Medicare system????

$785, which was $157 per night for her 5 nights on the ward. That’s it.

So every time I get a payslip and I look at the money I’ve lost to tax, I think about my mother’s tumour free brain, and the fact that my parents didn’t have to sell their house, and I think “that’s money well spent”.

[ericwong]

As an Australian, this video did an incredibly poor job of explaining how the Aussie system actually works...

[reddead]

Australian here. We LOVE our Medicare system. Universal healthcare for all. This video didn’t mention our Pharmacuetical Benefits Scheme; where the government covers prescription drugs.

[emilchandran]

This video was very poorly done. Things it did not cover:

— in an emergency, ambulance is free, ED is free, emergency procedure including major surgery is free.

— While many Australians choose to have private health insurance, you DO NOT need it. Even elective surgeries can be done in the public system although wait times can be long.

— Unlike the video suggested Optical and Dental can be done in the public system, and even when not bulk-billed (no gap) it is still offset by Medicare.

— The Phamaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) is a scheme in which the government heavily offsets the cost of prescription medication. From everyday drugs like ventolin for asthmatics to obscure medications for rare conditions, chemotherapy drugs, morphine, you name it it’s probably covered. And these drugs will be affordable for almost everyone even if they are on a pension.

— Mental health is also provided for. A mental health care plan will mean a person is entitled to 10 sessions with a psychologist and many will not charge more than what is covered by Medicare. A person can receive as many as the need, they just need to see a doctor again for a new plan.

— Private health insurance in Australia is heavily regulated to avoid people with chronic conditions discriminated against, although the system hasn’t worked perfectly.

— Many other things like immunisations, pathology, medical imaging, allied health (physiotherapy, dieticians, occupational therapy, speech pathology, rehabilitation etc.) are all covered to different degrees by Medicare.

More than anything else this video didn’t really communicate that in this country no matter what happens if you need medical care, you will get it. Emergencies, cancer, chronic disease doesn’t matter. Yes private health insurance might mean you get to chose your surgeon and for elective surgeries may be performed sooner. But no one “needs” to have it. Even if you do want it, it will cost you less than in the US. And if you have a chronic condition you won’t be bankrupted.

[Nuggetmafiaboss]

As an Australian, I feel incredibly grateful that I can seek medical care in any situation without financial costs even being a factor. Everyone should have the right to medical care without having to think twice about it.

[b.biscuit]

As an aussie i highly recommend universal healthcare and think America is insane....

[kerriefearby]

Another Australian here: this video does not give justice to the true benefit of our Medicare. My experience 3 serious and long surgeries and the cost was $0. Beat that.

[anthonywalsh]

as a 70yo old age pensioner out here in australia, i love our medicare for all system. i recently had a heart attack home here in cairns, was taken by ambulance to the local cairns hospital and was then flown by the royal flying doctor service, free of charge to townsville. i spent 2 weeks in hospital down there, a week pre op and a week post op. i had my aortic valve replaced and a double bypass. the whole affair cost me nothing. also i would point out that any monthly medications i need, currently plenty are charged at just $5.50 per month each.

so i have absolutely no complaints at all about our health system and am amazed that america continually holds out for private health insurance.

[misshisokapaints]

I paid $17AUD for my meds and that was expensive. At discount chemists I could get it down to $5AUD. That same medication costs $250USD. That's insane. No wonder people struggle so much with mental health.

[blackmesa]

The U.S has the most expensive healthcare system in the world and some of the worst healthcare outcomes in the developed world. Things have got to change.

[rea]

Not having to sell your house in case you break a leg or two is definitely something I like a lot in Europe 😀

[dominicpelle]

Conservatives in the USA .. *think we Australians are SOCIALIST* .. national health care was first introduced in 1975... Conservative governments in Australia have tried on numerous occasions.. to go down the USA path. *Luckily we are also better educated*

[acWeishan]

So I had my daughter here in Australia- I paid nothing.
My brother in the USA paid 20k.
I’d MUCH rather pay higher taxes and never have to worry about medical and high pharmaceutical cost.
I’ve never gotten the supplemental insurance as I don’t agree with weakening the system.

[burnie]

American system, worse outcomes for twice the money .Australian system by no means perfect, better results for half the funds .So transferring to a public, private type arrangement as in Australia would obviously be a better way to go in the states . If not why not and what am i missing .

[csjames]

Another Aussie here. Four years ago, my elderly mother fell and broke her hips. Free ambulance trip to the ER. Checked out by the doctors. Yup, her hip was broken. Scheduled for surgery 24 hours later. Free. Spent a week in recovery than a further six weeks in rehab. Free. I hate to think how much all this would cost in America. We are so fortunate here in Australia.

[tc]

Australian here, we had our son in the public system. Was there for 5 days, they wanted to run some tests etc. After all good and done we just walked out ... No paperwork, no bill, didn't need to do talk to anyone or do anything. Was surreal and awesome. Being free in public removes so much red tape.

[TechMyLifeVideo]

As an Australian, this video missed a lot of stuff. If also like to see how many Australians would like to switch to the American system - 0%, how many Americans would like the Australian system - most would know how it work, but once they did, I’d say 100%.

[HomebaseLHR]

Most “government funded” health care is “tax-payer funded healthcare”, as it should be!

[damesurina]

As an Aussie, Id rather pay 30% tax than see someone be hit with a 100K bill any day (I just think that 100K bill could have been my bill growing up). To think otherwise would be selfish.

P.S. this video didnt really explain the medicare system very well. Just saying.

[MavenCree]

They should've asked, how many people in Australia declare bankruptcy due to medical bills. I'm guessing the number is somewhere close to zero. I'm Canadian. I've never had to pay for any primary medical care, and this includes two surgeries. I have to pay for medication, but that's where my private insurance - through work - comes in. They pay the majority of it. If your doctor thinks you might have cancer, they're not going to make you wait - they're going to send you for tests. Plus, we do preventative screenings. Two of my uncles died of cancer - smoking related, but still, my mother's doctor insists she go for cancer screening every... I think 2 years, even though their cancer were most likely due to their smoking and my mother doesn't smoke. The main thing they should ask the candidates about universal health care is... Spain was the last 'first world' country to get Universal Healthcare, back in 1986. All the others got their coverage before then. So that's at the very least thirty three years. If universal healthcare is so bad, why has NOT A SINGLE ONE OF THESE COUNTRIES IN THE LAST 33 YEARS AT LEAST, GONE BACK TO A PRIMARILY PRIVATE SYSTEM? NOT. ONE. Are our system's perfect? No. But they're a sh*t-ton better than whatever is happening in the US. Stop letting those insurance companies manipulate you!