Medicare ‘Not Fit for Purpose’: Taxpayers Forking up to $3 Billion a Year for Administration Errors

Medicare ‘Not Fit for Purpose’: Taxpayers Forking up to $3 Billion a Year for Administration Errors
People are seen waiting in line at the Prahran Centrelink office in Melbourne, Australia on March 24, 2020. AAP Image/James Ross
|Updated:

Australia’s universal healthcare system, Medicare, is no longer fit for purpose because of its complexity, lack of clarity, and lack of continuous monitoring, an independent review has found.

Commissioned by Health Minister Mark Butler in response to reports of widespread rorting and fraud, the review by health economist Pradeep Philip found that Medicare was bleeding between $1.5 billion to $3 billion (US$2 billion) to non-compliance.

Related Topics