International Medical Graduates in Victoria
Australian Health System
The Australian health system is a complex mixture of public and private services involving all three tiers of government. Most importantly:
- The Australian government funds medical services through the Medicare system, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, health services to veterans and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and a range of other national health programs.
- The state and territory governments regulate the public provision of health services, including public hospitals, mental health and dental health services, community health and infant health centres, ambulance services and health promotion.
The aim of the national health care funding system is to give all Australians access to health care at an affordable cost or at no cost, while still providing choices for individuals who wish to access private health care.
The Medicare program, which includes the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, covers all Australians and subsidises their payments for private medical services and for a high proportion of prescription medicines. People make their contribution to the health care system through taxes and the Medicare levy based on their income, and through voluntary private financing, such as private health insurance.
The Department of Human Services is Victoria's largest government department and employs over 11,000 people directly and over 80,000 people indirectly through organisations such as:
- public hospitals
- aged care
- community care (including children, youth and family services)
- disability services
- mental health
- public health (including drugs and poisons, environmental health and food safety)
The service the Victorian health system provides to all Victorians is world-class in terms of both effectiveness and efficiency.