Australia's health care system on verge of collapse; headed towards US system

[Number23]

"Medicare struggling; Australia headed towards US user-pays system"

THE Australian system of free universal healthcare is set to disappear in as little as five years, prompting a radical plan for a new federal-state partnership to take control of hospitals and patient care.

(SNIP)

In a startling warning, NSW Health director-general Debora Piccone has told The Daily Telegraph that Australia is hurtling towards a US-style user-pays system due to an ageing population and out of control costs.

"We are really on the edge of losing the universal healthcare system that this country has," she said.

"I would have (previously) said we'd had 10 years to run. It's now looking like we've got five years to run because the cost escalations are so significant and we haven't prepared ourselves."

Bleak. I can't help but wonder if Australia could put its money to better use. Instead of the $5000 baby bonus given to all couples for every child they have, maybe this money could be put towards propping up Medicare. Can only hope this report is just hand-wringing and doesn't come to fruition.