Health Policy in Australia, 2d ed.(Book review)

HEALTH POLICY IN AUSTRALIA (2ND EDN) Heather Gardner and Simon Barraclough (eds) Oxford University Press: Melbourne, Auckland 2004; PB 362 pp AUD 55.00/USD 41.00/ GBP 23.65 ISBN 0-19-551348-7

Australian health policy is interesting for anyone studying health systems, because of its unique mix of private and public insurance and care institutions; dramatic political history; high overall standards of care despite a remote rural population (rivalled only by Canada's), and manifestation of Australia's particular version of federalism.

Taking such issues into account, this book is a must-have for anyone interested in the current state of health policy in Australia. It is scholarly and covers a wide range of pertinent issues facing policy makers in most countries. These include Australia's institutional and financial responses to cost pressures from ageing populations and technology inflation, growing tension between the public and private provision of health insurance and care, changes in demand and to the culture of consumption of health care, and responses to the growth of digital technologies. The opening chapter, in particular, gives an excellent overview of the structure and finance of Australia's health system. Hancock's chapter also gives a lucid account of the results of how healthcare is organised and financed between Australia's federal and state governments. This will be of interest to policy makers in other federal or quasi-federal systems, and no doubt to the architects of the new Europe (the current impasse not withstanding).

That said, the book is predominantly written from an insider's point of view rather than from an international perspective. This makes it highly relevant for readers seeking detailed explanations of how Australia's health system actually works now, rather than for those seeking direct comparisons of Australia with other countries. For example, most ...