The Medicare Safety Net (MSN) was introduced in March 2004 to provide financial relief for those who incur high out-of-pocket costs from medical services. The policy has the potential to improve equity. This study examines: (i) how the health and income profiles of small areas influence MSN...

In response to falling rates of bulk billing, in April 2003 the Australian Government proposed changes to the way that general practitioners (GPs) are reimbursed. It claimed that the General Practice Access Scheme (GPAS) would benefit all Australians by providing more affordable access to GP...

ABSTRACT We examine patient socioeconomic status, the strength of the patient–doctor relationship and local area competition as determinants of the quality and price of GP services. We exploit a large‐sample patient data set in Australia and its linkage to administrative databases. The...

Besley, Hall and Preston (JPubEc, 1999) investigate how waiting for medical treatment in public hospitals influences the decision to buy private health insurance, which covers faster private treatment. They find sizable positive impacts which have subsequently been influential on waiting lists...

Explaining individual, regional, and provider variation in health care spending is of enormous value to policymakers, but is often hampered by the lack of individual level detail in universal public health systems because budgeted spending is often not attributable to specific individuals. Even...