Healthcare Rights
Medicare, PBS, informed consent, aged care, mental health, private health insurance, and patient complaints in Australia.
Covered in this guide:
If you're an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible visa holder, Medicare (under the Health Insurance Act 1973) covers public hospital care and subsidises GP visits. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (under the National Health Act 1953) caps what you pay per script. The Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights covers informed consent, access to records, and complaints. The Aged Care Act 2024 rewrote aged-care standards. Mental health sits with the states, but Medicare's Better Access rebates roughly 10 psychology sessions a year.
Key Laws
Health Insurance Act 1973
Act No. 42 of 1973 (Cth)
Establishes Medicare and regulates medical benefits
National Health Act 1953
Act No. 95 of 1953 (Cth)
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and hospital agreements
Aged Care Act 1997
Act No. 112 of 1997 (Cth)
Regulation of aged care services, quality standards, rights of recipients
Private Health Insurance Act 2007
Act No. 31 of 2007 (Cth)
Regulation of private health insurance, community rating, portability
Therapeutic Goods Act 1989
Act No. 21 of 1989 (Cth)
Regulation of medicines, medical devices, and therapeutic goods
Medicare — Universal Healthcare
Medicare is Australia's universal public health insurance system, established under the Health Insurance Act 1973 and funded through general taxation plus the 2% Medicare levy. It is the single most i...
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) subsidises the cost of most prescription medicines in Australia. It runs under Part VII of the National Health Act 1953, administered by Services Australia, an...
Informed Consent
Before any medical treatment, you have a right to enough information to make an informed decision. The doctrine in Australia comes from the High Court's Rogers v Whitaker (1992): a doctor must disclos...
Aged Care Rights
If you receive government-funded aged care in Australia, you're protected by the Charter of Aged Care Rights under the Aged Care Act 1997. The Charter sets out 14 rights that apply to all Commonwealth...
Mental Health Rights
At the federal level, Australia approaches mental health through three layers: the National Mental Health Strategy, Medicare-funded services, and the NDIS for permanent psychosocial disability. Involu...
Private Health Insurance
The Private Health Insurance Act 2007 regulates private health insurance in Australia. Private cover supplements Medicare and gives you access to treatment as a private patient in a private or public...
NDIS (Disability Support)
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides funding for supports and services to people with a permanent and significant disability. It is established under the National Disability Insura...
Health Complaints and Patient Safety
If you experience harm, negligence, or unprofessional conduct from a health practitioner, you have the right to make a complaint. At the federal level, health practitioner regulation is managed by the...