HLTENN001 Features Of The Australian Health Care System - Assignment Solution

Features of the Australian Healthcare System

1. Describe one (1) primary care or health promotion program e.g. chronic disease management program, QUIT, Sun smart, etc. Include a description of the program’s effectiveness and describe two (2) principles of primary health care used by the program. (150 words) 

In 2015, the National Health Survey reported that 17.5% of the general population report having a mental illness or a behavioural condition and 3 years after this report was published, in 2017, this percentage increased to 20.1% (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2018). In 2005, it was reported by the Mental Health Council of Australia that nationally Australia has faced the problems of poor access to psychologists and psychiatrists, lack of rehabilitation programs, and difficulty in accessing coverage from private insurance and welfare funding. In response to this Better Access Telehealth, which is covered by Medicare, was launched which utilizes video calls to conduct psychotherapy with a professional (Department of Health, 2017). Being in line with the principle of Equitable distribution and using Appropriate Technology, this provides effective and accessible mental health care because it is free under Medicare, reaches rural areas, and makes use of available technology. 

2. Medicare is the Australian universal health care system. Described two (2) advantages and two (2) potential disadvantages of our healthcare system. One of these advantages or disadvantages should be related to financial issues (150 words) 

One advantage of the universal healthcare system is that it provides affordable healthcare to impoverished and indigent patients because it covers majority of costs including doctor’s fees, diagnostics, hospital stay, medications, and some outpatient services (e.g. physical therapy) (Department of Health, 2018). On the other hand, the disadvantage in Medicare coverage is that it does not subsidize certain specialized medical care and dental care leading to poor health seeking behavior for those who cannot afford it (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2018). Another advantage in Medicare is that all citizens automatically are covered and some working foreigners allowing them to choose from any public hospital making healthcare accessible; however, the disadvantage of a system like this is that public hospitals have unreasonable waiting times. In Australia’s health 2018 (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare), it was reported that for elective surgeries the waiting time depending on the procedure could last from two weeks up to half a year.