![]() Out-of-pocket spending on health care by consumers is also growing, but much of this is for non-subsidised health care, such as over the counter medicines, or areas with limited subsidies, such as dental services and those provided to private patients. Similarly, fee-for-service payments to doctors encourage them to provide more services, which in turn increases the use of services. The universal Medicare rebate, high levels of bulkbilling (where consumers pay nothing) and free public hospital care means that there are limited price signals which can act directly to moderate demand for subsidised health services. Independent think tank the Grattan Institute has also expressed concern over the future sustainability of health funding. A recent report from the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) warned that current health funding arrangements are not sustainable new models will need to be considered. Treasury’s Intergenerational Report 2010 (IGR) estimated that spending on health care by government as a percentage of GDP will nearly double by 2050. There are concerns therefore that the level of funding for health care will soon become a significant burden for governments. While medical research is providing better drugs, devices and interventions to keep people healthier and living longer, subsidising these is increasingly expensive. Meeting community expectations of ever higher health standards is also a challenge. ![]() Risk factors for chronic diseases like diabetes are increasing – many people are overweight or obese and do not get enough exercise. ![]() In addition, new health challenges are emerging: the baby boomers are ageing – the number of people over 85 years old will increase from 0.4 million now to 1.8 million in 2050. Still, it is recognised that the Australian health system has room to improve, particularly with regards to Indigenous health, quality of care and affordable and timely access to services. There are numerous other positive components which contribute to the Australian system – world class medical researchers, low smoking rates, a population that is generally accepting of health promoting regulations, such as seat belts and random breath testing, and the existence of political leadership and bipartisanship on big health issues such as HIV-AIDS. In its favour, Australia is a relatively wealthy country, with well-developed public health programs (such as immunisation) and good infrastructure (water supply, food quality). Life expectancy of 81.5 years is among the highest in the world, while expenditure on health services (totalling $130 billion in 2010–11) as a percentage of GDP (around 9%), is below the average for comparable countries (see Figure 1).įigure 1: Health expenditure, 1990 to 2010 It is widely recognised that despite some failings, Australia has a good health system. While Australia has a good health system by international standards, rising health costs represent an obstacle to future reform. This is being driven by population ageing, expensive medical interventions, community expectations and the rise in the incidence of chronic diseases. In other news on the game, the latest First Class Trouble patch notes can be found here for the April 20th update.A number of reports highlight the growing burden on governments to fund health care services. There has currently been no mention made about First Class Trouble crossplay, so it’s not a guaranteed feature, and it definitely won’t be introduced until the game actually gets released on PS4 at least. The PS4 in particular has had issues with crossplay in the past, with Sony famously stopping Fortnite crossplay with other platforms. ![]() Invisible Walls is only a small developer, and even bigger developers such as People Can Fly have had trouble with Outriders crossplay. However, there are a lot of technical complications regarding crossplay. According to the First Class Trouble Steam beta notes, the game will be in early access on PC for around 6-12 months, suggesting that it might not release on PS4 or Xbox until the game is ready to be released properly on all platforms.Īs for any possibility of First Class Trouble crossplay, it would make a lot of sense, especially if it is only available for PC and PS4.
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