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Strengthening Medicare to Improve Health Outcomes
Author(s) -
Wells Leanne,
Root Josephine
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
australian economic review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.308
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 1467-8462
pISSN - 0004-9018
DOI - 10.1111/1467-8462.12124
Subject(s) - business , health care , payment , health services , health equity , public economics , actuarial science , medicine , environmental health , economic growth , finance , economics , population
Medicare is fundamental to Australia's universal health system but has not evolved sufficiently to meet changing health needs, particularly for people with chronic diseases. The identified areas for change include blended payments, voluntary enrolment, improving access to a greater range of services and improving links across the health system. The need for more flexible approaches to funding to help address health inequities is also canvassed. Medicare should only fund services that are effective and efficient and it has not kept up with improvements in care and technology.