Medicare (Australia) facts for kids
Medicare is Australia's public health insurance plan. It helps people in Australia get healthcare. It is run by a group called Services Australia.
Medicare helps Australian citizens and people who live here permanently. It helps them pay for most doctor visits and hospital stays. Visitors from some other countries can also get help for urgent medical care.
What Medicare Covers
Medicare helps pay for many health services. This includes visits to the doctor and care in public hospitals. It also helps with some specialist services. For example, it can help with visits to a psychologist or a physiotherapist.
However, Medicare does not usually cover dental services. It also does not cover some other health services. People often use private health insurance to help pay for things Medicare does not cover. The Australian Government helps some people with the cost of private health insurance too.
How Medicare Started
Medicare was first created in 1975. It was called "Medibank" back then. The government at the time, led by Gough Whitlam, started it.
Later, in 1976, another government changed it. They made people pay to use Medibank. But in 1984, the government led by Bob Hawke brought back the idea of healthcare for everyone. They called it "Medicare."
The original "Medibank" company kept going as a private health insurance company. The government owned it until 2014, when it was sold to private owners.
Images for kids
-
How much countries spend on healthcare per person, compared since 1995.
