Health Care Choices and the Public Purse

This provides comparative material from Australia as Western governments face continuing demands for health care expenditure, and seek to satisfy those demands on a cost efficient basis. It summarizes the underlying economic, political and structural factors that influence health policies and explores the factors that affect health status and comments on the major areas of health expenditure. "Health Care Choices and the Public Purse" strongly supports a single medical insurance fund, but acknowledges some disparity in current hospital insurance arrangements. Sidney Sax appeals for an adjustment without another major restructuring of health care financing, for if mixed public and private systems are to flourish in accordance with political leaders' assurances, care must be taken to maintain a reasonable balance.