Category
Aihw
5 articles
Australia's Bulk Billing Crisis: Why Medicare Is Failing and What Needs to Change
Bulk billing rates for GP visits fell from roughly 88% in 2022 to 76% in 2024. A policy analysis of rebate indexation failures, the GP workforce crisis, out-of-pocket cost inequity, and the specific reforms needed to restore universal access to primary care.
Mental Health Medicare Reform in Australia: What's Working, What's Failing, and What Must Change
Australia's Better Access scheme has improved mental health care for many, but the 2023 reversal of 20 subsidised sessions, persistent cost barriers, workforce shortages, and system gaps leave too many people undertreated. A policy analysis of what reform is needed and why.
Preventive Health Funding in Australia: The Policy Case for Investment
Australia spends roughly 1.8% of total health expenditure on prevention versus the WHO 5% benchmark. A policy analysis of underinvestment, return on investment evidence, and costed reform proposals for 2026 and beyond.
Bariatric Surgery Access in Australia: Policy Failures, Equity Gaps, and the Case for Reform
Australia's bariatric surgery system is two-tiered, inequitable, and failing hundreds of thousands of people with severe obesity. A policy analysis of access barriers, public waitlist failures, the economic case for expanded funding, and the role of GLP-1 medications in reshaping the surgical pipeline.
Metabolic Syndrome in Australia: The Policy Gap Between Evidence and Action
Australia's metabolic syndrome burden is large, growing, and poorly addressed by current Medicare and public health policy. An evidence-based analysis of the gap between what the research shows and what the health system delivers.