There’s a straightforward way of making sure more doctors work where they’re needed.

This updated guide provides an overview of Australia’s complex health system: what governments do, the role of private health insurance, how much we spend on health care, how Australian health outcomes compare internationally, the health care workforce and links to further information and resources.

This report shows variation in the total annual out-of-pocket costs for patients for their Medicare-subsidised health care delivered outside a hospital. It shines a spotlight on how much patients pay out-of-pocket for specialist, general practitioner (GP), diagnostic imaging and obstetric services (otherwise known as the ‘gap’).

Primary care policy in Australia is under-done. Neither the Commonwealth nor the states have taken the lead. This report shows new policies are needed.

The first Coordination of Health Care Study results are available at the Primary Health Network area level for patients aged 45 and over, showing variation in experiences of care received from their usual GP or in their usual place of care in 2015–16.