7 June 2016 - Although there are some differences between the major parties on health policy, all sides embrace the concept of universal healthcare.

But beyond the simpler slogans that dominate the public debate, very few of us who deal with the system are happy with the way it’s working.

In reality, it is riddled with lopsided and illogical arrangements that benefit a small number of vested interests, and militate against the interests of the great majority of the population.

Our current spending on health, as a percentage of GDP, is stable at around 9.4 per cent, reflecting the OECD average, up from around 8.1 per cent in 2000. But dig deeper and you find that within this growth figure, there has been a percentage decrease in spending on hospitals and general practice medical attendances in recent years. At the same time, private health care premiums continue to beat inflation.

So is there a problem? It depends on what you want from the health system and your place in it. If you want the system to be sustainable, there most certainly is. But if you’re are happy to keep suffering reduced services and rising taxes, then there is no problem.

For more details, go to: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/opinion/health-system-cares-for-big-insurers-big-pharma/news-story/dd795a2578f75703cb20f4b040b4d3ab