Doug Ingram
Aug 27, 2017 · 1 min read

In Australia we have had a universal health care system, also called “Medicare”, since 1984. Australian residents are entitled to subsidised treatment from medical practitioners, eligible midwives, nurse practitioners and allied health professionals who have been issued a Medicare provider number, and can also obtain free treatment in public hospitals.

The scheme is funded by a 2% levy on taxable income, except from people who qualify for low-income exemptions.

At one stage in my career and family life I had full-cover private insurance. After two failed businesses and having sold my house to clear my debts (in Australia it’s preferable to avoid declaring bankruptcy) private insurance was no longer an option. I am grateful that successive governments in my country have seen and continue to see the importance of our universal heath care system.

We see stories of people in the US struggling to afford healthcare, plus people banging on about how bad “socialist” schemes likes ours are. The bottom line is we give a damn about our people and in the 33 years Medicare has been running I’ve yet to meet a fellow Aussie who complains about having the government tell them how to run their lives in return.

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    Doug Ingram

    Written by

    A middle-aged Australian man with a bunch of ideas that someone might draw wisdom from.