Introduction to the Australian Health Care System

Question 1

What does universal healthcare mean?

Answer 1

All residents have access to health care.

Question 2

True or false:

Australia has one of the best healthcare systems in the world. It is universal.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

True or false:

Australia has a high life expectancy and means that we also have an ageing population.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Which governments are involved in funding, operating, managing, and regulating the health system?

Answer 4

All governments are involved in sharing responsibility.

Question 5

What is the government hierarchy? Rank them in order.

Answer 5

1) The Australian government
2) State and Territory governments
3) Local governments.

Question 6

Who government develops the national health policies?

• Australian / Commonwealth governments
• State and Territory governments
• Local governments

Answer 6

Australian / Commonwealth governments

Question 7

Which government is responsible for delivering community-based and preventive services (for example, cancer screening and immunisation), ambulance services, and services to address complaints against any of these.

• Australian / Commonwealth governments
• State and Territory governments
• Local governments

Answer 7

State and Territory governments

Question 8

Which government provides funds to states and territories for public hospital services?

• Australian / Commonwealth governments
• State and Territory governments
• Local governments

Answer 8

Australian / Commonwealth governments

Question 9

Which government is in charge of environmental health services (for example, waste disposal, water fluoridation)?

• Australian / Commonwealth governments
• State and Territory governments
• Local governments

Answer 9

Local governments

Question 10

Which government is in charge of regulating and licensing private hospitals and other health premises, and regulate products with health impacts such as alcohol and tobacco?

• Australian / Commonwealth governments
• State and Territory governments
• Local governments

Answer 10

State and Territory governments

Question 11

What services are available in the Australian health care system?

Answer 11

• Health promotion and health protection and disease prevention programs
• Primary health care
• Specialist care
• Hospitals

Question 12

What is a levy?

Answer 12

An amount of money, such as a tax, that must be paid to a government or organisation.

Question 13

What is a medicare levy?

Answer 13

An amount you pay in addition to the tax you pay on your taxable income (2% of your taxable income).

Question 14

What is a Medicare levy surcharge?

Answer 14

An extra 1% to 1.5% levy paid by Australian taxpayers who don’t have Private Hospital Cover and are considered by the Government to be high income earners.

Question 15

Fill in the missing gaps:

Medicare is a _______ health ________ scheme that has __ major parts: _______ services, public hospitals, _______.

Answer 15

Medicare is a universal health insurance scheme that has 3 major parts: medical services, public hospitals, medicines.

Question 16

Who is medicare available to?

Answer 16

Medicare is available to Australian and New Zealand citizens, permanent residents in Australia, and people from countries with reciprocal agreements.

Question 17

What scheme makes some prescription medicines cheaper.

Answer 17

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Question 18

True or false: Bulk billing is part of Medicare?

Answer 18

True

Question 19

What is bulk billing?

Answer 19

It means that you don’t have to pay for your medical service from a health professional. They bill Medicare instead and they accept the Medicare benefit as full payment for the service.

Question 20

What is the difference between private and public hospitals?

Answer 20

There are many differences but its basically the care you receive and the time frame in which you receive care.

For example, in a private hospital you get to choose your doctor, have shorter wait times on elective surgery and more likely to be in your own (pleasant) room.

Question 21

True or false:

Medicare is part of the private health system and allows cover for private hospitals and services.

Answer 21

False

Question 22

What are the 3 levels of healthcare?

Answer 22

1) Primary health care
2) Secondary health care
3) Tertiary health care

Question 23

Primary health care is associated with what?

• Diagnosis and treatment
• Health promotion and illness prevention
• Rehabilitation, health restoration and palliative care

Answer 23

Health promotion and illness prevention

Question 24

Secondary health care is associated with what?

• Rehabilitation, health restoration and palliative care
• Diagnosis and treatment
• Health promotion and illness prevention

Answer 24

Diagnosis and treatment

Question 25

Tertiary health care is associated with what?

• Rehabilitation, health restoration and palliative care
• Diagnosis and treatment
• Health promotion and illness prevention

Answer 25

Rehabilitation, health restoration and palliative care

Question 26

What is private health insurance?
[select all answers that are correct]

• Care in the public healthcare system
• Some medical and allied health services that are not subsidised through Medicare
• Insurance that covers some of the costs of treatment in a private hospital.

Answer 26

• Some medical and allied health services that are not subsidised through Medicare
• Insurance that covers some of the costs of treatment in a private hospital.

Question 27

What are the 2 types of cover you can get with private health insurance?

• Hospital cover covers some of the costs of hospital treatment as a private patient.
• General treatment - cover for some non-medical health services not covered by Medicare — such as dental, physiotherapy and optical services.
• Ancillary and extras
• Hospital cover for some (or all) of the costs of hospital treatment as a private patient.

Answer 27

• General treatment (‘ancillary’ or ‘extras’) - cover for some non-medical health services not covered by Medicare — such as dental, physiotherapy and optical services.
• Hospital cover for some (or all) of the costs of hospital treatment as a private patient.

Question 28

True or false: You can’t have the two types of cover with your private health insurance. You can only have one.

Answer 28

False - You can have both or either one.

Question 29

Fill in the missing gaps:

Quaternary care is considered an _________ of _______ care.

Answer 29

Quaternary care is considered an extension of tertiary care.

Question 30

What is a primary health network (PHN)?

Answer 30

A government initiative to improve primary health care.

Question 31

What are the goals of a PHN?

Answer 31

Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of health services and improve the coordination of care.

Question 32

What are the 6 key areas of focus for a PHN?

• mental health
• obesity
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
• aged care
• population health
• covid-19
• injury prevention and control
• the health workforce
• eHealth

Answer 32

• mental health
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
• aged care
• population health
• the health workforce
• eHealth

Question 33

How many local health districts are there in NSW?

Answer 33

There are 15.

Question 34

How many local health districts are there in Sydney?

Answer 34

There are 6.