Is Medicare fair?

Is Medicare Fair? tests whether Medicare is meeting its objective.

Medicare is a universal health insurance system, designed to ensure all Australians receive the healthcare they need when they need it and irrespective of their capacity to pay.

The Medicare Benefits Schedule is fundamental to Australians’ access to health care and is used by so many Australians every year, and is the right place to start to begin to assess the fairness of Australia’s health system.

• Is Medicare Fair? The Distribution of Medicare Benefits Across the States and Territories (PDF, 12.71 MB)
  In this paper we focus on the distribution of Medicare insurance payments across Australia’s six states and two territories. We place these data alongside states’ and territories’ health care needs, as measured by the burden of disease (AIHW), noting that state and territory averages mask very large differences in local communities’ and individuals’ health and their circumstances. 
• Is Medicare Fair? The Distribution of Medicare Benefits Across Cities and Countries (PDF, 12.6 MB)
  This paper focuses on the distribution of Medicare insurance payments across Australia – major cities, inner and outer rural areas, and remote and very remote areas. It compares the distribution of these payments against health care needs in those areas as measured by the burden of disease (AIHW), noting that the averages mask very large differences in local communities’ and individuals’ health and their circumstances.
• Is Medicare Fair? Out of Pocket Medicare Costs Across Australia (PDF, 13.86 MB)
  This paper focuses on the distribution of Medicare out of pocket costs by broad type of service, state and territory, and Australia’s geographic classifications – major cities, inner and outer rural areas, and remote and very remote areas.