Outcome 3 Part 1 - Health Care In Australia Flashcards
What is the social model of health?
A conceptual framework within which improvements in health and wellbeing are achieved by directing effort towards addressing the social, economic and environmental determinants of health. The model is based on the understanding that in order to achieve health gains, social, economic and environmental determinants must be addressed.
What is the biomedical model of health?
Focuses on the physical or biological aspects of disease and illness. It is a medical model of care practiced by doctors and health professionals and is associated with the diagnosis, cute and treatment of disease
Health promotion
The process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health
What are the three basic strategies for health promotion?
Enable
Mediate
Advocate
What are the Ottawa charters 5 action areas/elements of priority?
Develop personal skills Reorient health services Build healthy public policy Create supportive environments Strengthen community action
Bulk billing
When the doctor or specialist charges only the schedule fee. The payment is claimed directly from Medicare so there are no out-of-pocket expenses for the patient
Patient co-payment
The payment made by the consumer for health products or services in addition to the amount paid by the government.
Schedule fee
The amount that Medicare contributes towards certain consultations and treatments. The government decides what each item is worth and that’s what Medicare pays. Doctors and private hospitals may choose to charge more than the schedule fee.
The pharmaceutical benefits scheme (PBS)
The PBS was introduced to subsidise the cost of a wide range of prescription medications, providing Australians with medication at affordable prices.
Currently over 4000 brands of prescriptions are covered by the PBS.
What is private health insurance?
A type of insurance under which members may pay a premium (or fee) in return for payment towards health-related costs not covered by Medicare. It is an additional insurance purchased on top of Medicare.
What are the 3 private health insurance incentives?
- private health insurance rebate
- lifetime health cover
- Medicare levy surcharge
What is the private health insurance rebate?
Policy holders receive a 30% rebate (or refund) on their premiums for private health insurance.
What is lifetime health cover?
People who take up private health insurance after the age of 31 pay an extra 2% on their premiums for every year that they are over the age of 30. This continues until it reaches an extra 70%!
What is the Medicare levy surcharge?
People earning more than $90,000 a year ($180,000 for families) pay an extra tax as a medicare levy surcharge if they do not purchase price health insurance.
Advantages of private health insurance
- enables access to private health care
- choice of doctor in private or public hospital
- shorter waiting times for some medical procedures such as elective surgery
Disadvantages of private health insurance
- costly in terms of the premiums that have to be paid
- sometimes have a ‘gap’, which means the insurance doesn’t pay the whole fee and the individual must pay the difference
- qualifying periods apply for some conditions (eg, pregnancy)
What are the values of Australia’s health care system?
Safe
Effective
Efficient
Continuous
Accessible
Responsible
Sustainable