In 1987, a large-scale Swedish study confirmed an association between cannabis use and the development of schizophrenia. Ever since, it has become widely accepted by clinicians that there are links between cannabis use and mental illness. Experts have expressed particular concern about the mental-health effects of cannabis use on young people, as ‘adolescence is the...

This brief, by Luke Buckmaster, considers the historical development of Medibank Private, some legal issues relating to ownership of the fund and some policy arguments for and against the sale.

Medical savings accounts have been suggested as one way of addressing the question of how Australia can pay for its future health needs. They are similar to compulsory superannuation – individuals save a proportion of their income into an account which can only be used for health expenses. Luke Buckmaster examines the case for MSAs...

Luke Buckmaster provides a brief overview of RU486 and its use in medical abortion, an explanation of its current legislative status in Australia, and a brief analysis of the current debate about overturning legislative restrictions on RU486 and similar abortion drugs in Australia introduced at the instigation of Senator Brian Harradine in 1996.

Accusations about cost-shifting are a constant in debates about the Australian healthcare system. in this research note Luke Buckmaster and Angela Pratt provide an overview of the health cost-shifting debate in Australia. They examine the complex division of responsibilities for health care, discuss areas in which cost-shifting is said to occur, and highlight how both...