Describe the advantages of Medicare for Australian citizens. comes from the 2012 HSC PDHPE exam. It is question 21 and is worth 3 marks. The answer provided, once again comes from Maja.

Australia’s public health care system is supported by Medicare, which provides health care cover for all Australian’s. Introduced in 1984 by the Commonwealth Government, this scheme aims to reduce health inequities throughout the population. The advantages of Australians having this public health care system is that they receive free hospital care in state hospitals and subsidised or free care from general practitioners and specialists. People who suffer from chronic illnesses can also receive subsidised costs for medicine under the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme. Australian taxpayers only have to pay 2% of their taxable income towards the Medicare levy in order to receive these services and for some people Medicare is free. By having a public health system in Australia, the health of the population and equity of access to health services and facilities for all Australians has improved significantly.

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