Healthcare policy and Health Care - Essay Example

Introduction Health being a fundamental human right needs adequate investment and government attention. There is a compelling need for the government to invest in resources specifically in the workforce and manpower in order to promote the health of the citizens. Along with this basic premise, another consideration is the principle of social equity, which dictates that health should be accessible by the broadest possible portion of the populace and this is made likely by enacting sound and competent healthcare policies (Li, 2006). Healthcare policy is frequently depicted in legislation as the clear cut concerns for health and of equity in various areas of the policies involved, as well as its universal impact to health. Its main goal is to make the environment and the society accommodating enough for people to live a healthy life. It makes all of these possible by relating into various sectors like communication, agriculture, education, trade and industry among others, and highlighting that health is an essential consideration in the creation of these policies. Healthcare policies should be anchored therefore on the essentiality of health available through equity (Li, 2006). Why Australia? The Australian Constitution has afforded that the government should see healthcare as a responsibility of the state to its people. When the former Constitution was amended in 1946 in order to empower its government to specifically make laws that will respond to the health care of every Australian. After such restructuring of the power vested in the Australian government, the state became more involved in policy-making and in the implementation of provisions in the law on sickness and hospital benefits, pharmaceuticals, maternity and dental services (Li, 2006). Australia was chosen as an example to demonstrate healthcare policy issues because of the active involvement of its government in policy making and the utilization of effective health care researches to attend to the broad landscape of problems involved that stretches to different sectors such as the financing sector, health insurance plans both private and government-based to cite a few. How evidence was obtained in the report. Different areas were covered to make the report on health care policies in a country such as Australia. Textual analysis was first employed by looking at the possible provisions on healthcare in their Constitution. It was found out that there are several changes and alterations of their Constitution hence its effects to the health care policies were examined. There were also examinations on the synchronicity level or the coexistence of these health care policies in the past and the present – a closer assessment at what connects both phenomena in time. Documentary evidence will be collected in order to elucidate on the policies and laws of the Australian federal government and the state at particular points in its history. To collate it with the aims and objectives of the succeeding parts, it is important that the research focuses on the institutional factors representing that particular stage and its ramifications to the present. Core Australian healthcare policies and how it influence public health outcomes The Australian healthcare policy is divided into three categories; a) the Medicare, b) non-Medicare, and c) privately-financed health care services. The Medicare is the application of the health care policies based on standards set by the federal government and the state of which both share the responsibility for its administration and financing. This covers pharmaceutical benefits and for in-patient and medical insurances. The second is largely public financing without applications of national standards. And the last constitutes other private professional services such as physical therapy, physiotherapy and dental care. Positive outcomes and effects of the policy 1. The delineation of public policy proved effective as it clearly shows the role of the federal government and the state on every portion. As a result, in the 2000 evaluation the Senate Community Affairs Committee reported that publicly-funded health services were highly supported by Australian community; in fact the satisfaction rate reached 90% after 2000. 2. Despite the support extended by the government, there is continued encouragement for the development and advancement of privately-financed health care programs similar to state-sponsored health care systems to address the value of equity in healthcare policy. 3. As a result of the tripartite nature of Australian health policy along with the active involvement of the state and the government as mandated by their effective laws, the study Private Health Insurance in Australia: A Case Study conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development showed that the private health insurance benefits in Australia allows insurers to opt either private or public hospitals. 4. Significant reduction in the cost of public hospitals as a result of the increase in availing private insurance coverage. In order to see the potential effects of private insurances to the consumers, it is useful to see the different groups in Australian society in the context of the insurance that they availed: a) those who availed private insurance without prior incentives schemes, b) those who result to private care and c) those who relies greatly on public hospitals. It was shown that there are no significant changes in the beahviour and patterns of those belonging to the first category. Given the same assumptions, an increase in the subsidy of private insurance would tend to persuade privately insured persons to purchase private insurances. Cost saving schemes therefore, should and policies should involve those in the second and third categories. Challenges to face 1. Promotion of the private health insurance in Australia resulted into significant benefits to the Australians; however issues and challenges have remained to be unsolved. These challenges are: a. The corresponding increase in the rebate and in the government expenditures; b. The increase in the rebate of house with high income because of the tendency to purchase private insurance plans; c. In order to assure that the insurance industries have equal competition in the market government regulation through reinsurance is introduced but reduces the incentives in many health insurance industries (Adelaide Recommendations on Healthy Public Policy, 1998) Significant pressures of the healthcare workforce in Australia 1. Provided that every insurer is given the option to choose between public and private hospitals, the allocation of doctors might be affected because of the differences in professional fees and other benefits provided only if employed in private institutions. Increase subsidy in private insurance providers encourages those who were previously self-sustained to opt for these insurances instead. 2. Those in the health care industry are in an open-handed type of work. It is characterized by the increase in the demand which results to an increase of the number of hours spent for work. Related to the previously cited problem, this is a result of the unequal distribution of the professionals among public and private hospitals. In the context of policy issues, this distribution is brought about by the migration of professionals from public to private hospitals because of the mentioned inefficiency in government structures such as the prevalence of beaucracy within the system itself. In a personal milieu, these professionals feel undervalued and may even result to quitting the job for failure to meet personal satisfaction. Conclusion The principle of a sound health care plan is best achieved with equity of the foundation that attending to the health concerns of a nation is indispensable to its growth. Assimilation of health in various social factors such as education and finance develops into a workable scheme in order to provide an environment wherein people belonging to any social status are given access to health care. Active involvement of the Australian government in creating provisions for health care policies in its laws resulted to a 90% rate of heath care servicing in Australia since 2000. Behind this backdrop, issues regarding the effects of insurance as well as the professional in the workforce threaten the overall stability of Australian healthcare system (Private Hospitals in Australia, 1999; Denniss, 2005) References Adelaide Recommendations on Healthy Public Policy. (1998) 2nd International Conference on Health Promotion. Adelaide South Australia Denniss, Richard (2005). Who benefits from private health insurance in Australia? Hurley, J., Vaithianathan, R., Corssley J., & Cobb-Clark, D. (2002) Parallel Private Health Insuarance in Australia: A cautionary Tale and Lessons for Canada. Li, S. (2006) Health Care Financing Policies of Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. Research and Library Services Division Legislative Council Secretariat. Hong Kong McAuley, I. & Menadue, J. (2000) A Health Policy for Australia: Reclaiming Universal Care. Center for Policy Development. Private Hospitals in Australia. (1999). Productivity Commission. Read More