Australia Yearbook - 2001

360 Year Book Australia 2001
9.37 EXPENDITURE PER HOUSEHOLD ON MEDICAL CARE, Percentage of Total Health
Expenditure—1984 to 1998–99
1984 1988–89 1993–94 1998–99
1998–99
Expenditure category
% % % % $/week
Accident and health Insurance 50.1 44.4 49.6 40.6 13.18
Hospital, medical and dental insurance 45.7 40.0 43.9 35.0 11.37
Sickness and personal accident insurance 3.3 3.5 4.5 4.6 1.48
Health practitioner’s fees 26.5 31.9 24.7 30.7 9.96
General practitioner doctor’s fees 3.8 3.6 2.3 2.4 0.77
Specialist doctor’s fees 3.9 6.2 5.5 7.8 2.53
Dental charges 10.6 13.3 10.4 13.5 4.37
Medicines, pharmaceutical products and therapeutical appliances 20 20.5 22.9 24.9 8.09
Prescriptions 6.2 6.1 8.0 9.1 2.94
Other medical care and health expenses 2.2 3.2 2.8 3.8 1.23
Hospital and nursing home charges 2.2 3.1 2.5 3.0 0.96
Health as proportion of total expendititure on goods and
services 3.9 4.3 4.5 4.7 . .
Source: Unpublished data, Household Expenditure Surveys (various).
9.38 EXPENDITURE PER HOUSEHOLD ON MEDICAL CARE, By Gross Income Quintile—1998–99
Bottom
quintile
Second
quintile
Third
quintile
Fourth
quintile
Highest
quintile
All
households
Expenditure category
$ $ $ $ $
$
Accident and health Insurance 6.04 8.44 11.03 16.16 24.18 13.18
Hospital, medical and dental insurance 5.44 7.78 9.52 13.86 20.18 11.37
Sickness and personal accident insurance 0.44 0.41 1.12 1.89 3.55 1.48
Health practitioner’s fees 3.90 6.67 9.33 12.65 17.19 9.96
General practitioner doctor’s fees 0.28 0.38 0.73 1.15 1.32 0.77
Specialist doctor’s fees 0.83 1.54 2.79 3.11 4.35 2.53
Dental charges 1.69 2.98 3.95 5.37 7.84 4.37
Medicines, pharmaceutical products and
therapeutical appliances 5.66 7.86 7.42 9.55 9.91 8.09
Prescriptions 2.16 2.78 2.54 3.81 3.42 2.94
Other medical care and health expenses 1.63 0.73 0.87 1.36 1.63 1.24
Hospital and nursing home charges 1.43 0.61 0.61 1.00 1.16 0.96
Total expendititure per household on health
and medical expenses 17.23 23.71 28.65 39.72 52.91 32.47
Source: Household Expenditure Survey, Australia: Detailed Expenditure Items, 1998–99 (6535.0).
Health work force
In 1999–2000, about 328,000 people were
employed in health occupations in Australia,
comprising about 3.7% of the total number
of employed persons (table 9.39). The largest
components of the health work force were
registered nurses (151,200) and medical
practitioners (38,000 general medical
practitioners and 17,200 specialist medical
practitioners). Females comprised 72% of the
health work force, due to the predominance
of females in the nursing occupations.
The average hours worked per week by those in
the health work force was slightly lower than for
the total work force (35.9 hours compared with
37.4 hours). This reflects the high proportion of
females in the health work force, who are more
likely to work part-time. This pattern is evident
in the majority of occupations within the health
sector. For example, specialist medical
practitioners have a high proportion of males
(76%) and recorded the longest average working
week (49 hours). In contrast, those occupations
(such as dietitians) that have a high proportion
of females, recorded a relatively short average
working week.
The median age of the health work force was
40 years compared to 37 years for the total work
force. Dietitians recorded the lowest median age
of all occupations within the health work force
(28 years). This possibly reflects the recent rise in
concern within the Australian community over
nutrition intake. Specialist medical practitioners
recorded the highest median age within the
health work force (48 years) which may reflect
the number of years of training and the
experience required to be a specialist.