Designing the structure for Australia's health system
By: Jane Hall
Series: Occasional paper series (Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia) -- 1/2010; Occasional paper series (Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia) -- 2010/1
Publisher: Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Canberra
Language: eng
Number of pages: 27
Subjects: Medical care; Health services administration
Description: Public hospitals and their performance was the major health issue in the 2007 national election. The now Prime Minister, as Opposition leader, announced that he would develop a national reform plan 'designed to eliminate duplication and overlap between the States and the Commonwealth' and 'to move beyond the blame game'. He also stated his intention to hold a national referendum to allow the Commonwealth to take over the running of public hospitals if reform could not be achieved cooperatively with the States by the middle of 2009. The aim of this paper is to provide the background to governance issues in the Australian health care system; an overview of health care financing issues; an outline of the international context; a summary of the discussions and views expressed at the Roundtable, and to offer a commentary on the recommendations of the Health and Hospitals Reform Commission.
Notes: Contains bibliographical references (p.24-27).