We looked at almost 300,000 births and found those mothers in the private system were more likely to have a caesarean – even if they didn’t really want or need one.
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Articles on Private hospitals
Displaying 1 - 20 of 25 articles
A public health expert explains emergency measures recently brought in to manage the impact of Omicron on our stressed health system.
From the benefits of telehealth to the importance of integrating public and private systems, the COVID-19 pandemic offers several valuable lessons for Australia’s health system.
The COVID-19 pandemic gives us a chance to improve our elective surgery system when it restarts.
Elective surgeries have been halted as part of the health system’s response to coronavirus. But many are unnecessary and shouldn’t be rescheduled after the pandemic ends.
Private hospitals will be on the frontline in the coronavirus battle, under an arrangement with the federal government that makes available the sector’s more than 30,000 beds and 105,000 workforce.
In April, private health insurance premiums will increase by an average of 2.92%. It’s the lowest rise in 19 years but still much higher than wages growth. And insurers still make a healthy profit.
Patients often want the option to be treated at home rather than being admitted to hospital. But it’s much less likely to happen if you’re a private patient.
Subsidies for private health insurance premiums cost the government over A$6 billion a year. Is it time to scrap the rebate and redirect these funds elsewhere in the health system?
Findings from South Africa’s Health Market Inquiry makes recommendations to close the information gap between service providers and consumers.
Each year, inspectors visit Australian hospitals. But they’re less like secret shoppers who identify flaws, and more like guests of a carefully orchestrated performance. This needs to change.
Domination of key South African markets by a few players, as displayed in the healthcare market inquiry, may require authorities to consider breaking up monopolies.
Private health insurance premiums will rise from April 1, leaving consumers wondering if they should give it up or downgrade to save money.
Public hospitals in Australia are owned and operated by state (and territory) governments. So why does the Commonwealth government attract blame for lack of hospital funding?
We have lots of data about hospital safety, but it’s not used to make us safer or more comfortable when we’re admitted.
There may be some benefits to public hospitals treating more private patients.
Australians can’t tell which private hospital is safer then the next because the data isn’t publicly available. It’s time that changed.
For the first time in 15 years, as premiums and complaints rise, the proportion of the population with private health insurance is declining.
Around a quarter of people with private health insurance still choose to use the public system. Why?
Why is it so difficult to find out exactly how much it’s going to cost to have that suspicious mole removed or to be admitted to hospital for that colonoscopy or hip replacement?
Top contributors
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Stephen Duckett is a Friend of The Conversation.Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice, The University of Melbourne
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Emeritus Professor, Menzies Centre for Health Policy, University of Sydney
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Reader in Health Economics, Centre for Health Economics, University of York
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Professor of Midwifery, Associate Dean Research and HDR, Midwifery Discipline Leader, Western Sydney University
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Karen Willis is a Friend of The Conversation.
Professor, Public Health, Victoria University, Victoria University
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Professor of Health Economics, University of Technology Sydney
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Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney
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Caroline Homer is a Friend of The Conversation.
Co-Program Director: Maternal and Child Health, Burnet Institute
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Adjunct Associate Professor, Menzies Centre for Health Policy, University of Sydney
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Professor of Health Economics and Director, Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation, University of Technology Sydney
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ARC Future Fellow, Australian National University
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Health economist, University of Technology Sydney
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Senior Lecturer, School of Economics, University of Adelaide
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Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
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Associate professor, University of Newcastle
