There is a General Practitioner Medical and 'gatekeeper' service, basic fees payable by Medicare. Most charge above the recommended rate, pensioners and social service recipients are usually bulk billed, which means the GP sends the bill into Medicare for reimbursement. Otherwise, the patient pays the fee, collects the rebate for the service from Medicare and absorbs the rest of the fee. The specialist is accessed on referral from the GP and the financial arrangement is the same as for general practice. People can also attend hospital clinic services and be admitted to public hospitals, services being covered by Medicare.
Private insurance is an option and allows choice of doctor and of private hospitalization.
There are various private insurance companies that provide medical and hospital cover for illness etc. Some have ancillary benefits that cover for so called paramedical services, such as physiotherapists, dentists, occupational therapy and, rarely, some insurance companies will cover herbalists, naturopaths and massage. There is only one fund that I know who will cover a little of a midwive's fees. These funds are quite expensive and the rate of private insurance in Australia has been dropping steadily over the last few years under the Labor government, which had a commitment to public health and the provision of health services and medicare. The situation has now changed with the election of the Liberal party and it's commitment to private enterprise and ensuring the income of the elite in our society.