Australia Top-Ranked Global Health System: Latest Commonwealth Fund Report Reveals
The Mirror Mirror 2024 Report affirms Australia’s status as a global benchmark for delivering equitable and effective healthcare.
According to the latest report, Australia’s healthcare system ranks #1 overall among ten high-income nations.
Founded in 1918, The Commonwealth Fund is a health care policy-focused private foundation that funds independent research and advocacy for health care systems.
The Mirror Mirror 2024 is the Commonwealth Fund’s eighth annual report, comparing the health systems of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The evaluation covers five key domains: access to care, care process, administrative efficiency, equity, and health outcomes.
Australian Healthcare has excelled in several areas, earning the top spot for equity and health outcomes, and standing out for its administrative efficiency. Australia’s overall performance sets it apart from other nations, highlighting its robust healthcare framework and its ability to deliver quality care across various domains.
Health System Performance Overview
Australia’s Equity Advantage: Universal Access to Healthcare
Australia outperformed other benchmarked countries in the equity metric. It’s universal health coverage through the Medicare system ensures that all citizens, regardless of socioeconomic status, obtain coverage for all or part of the cost of GP and specialist consultations and diagnostic tests. Public hospitals offer free care, while the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme regulates medication costs, keeping them within reach for most Australians.
The Commonwealth Fund's report highlights that Australia leads in health outcomes, including metrics in life expectancy at birth and preventing deaths from treatable causes. In administrative efficiency, Australia stands out for its ability to streamline processes through electronic claims processing that ensures instantaneous payments from public and private payers.
Access the full Commonwealth Fund, Mirror Mirror Report 2024 here.
Nations wishing to improve their health system’s equity, administrative efficiency, and health outcomes could look to Australia for insights.
- Mirror Mirror 2024
ACHS International is a world-leading healthcare improvement organisation
As Australia’s largest and most experienced accreditation agency, The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) has been at the forefront of quality improvement programs in healthcare. ACHS International extends this pursuit for healthcare excellence and brings our expertise to organisations around the globe.
We conducted a thorough study which evaluated the different international accreditation systems and found that the Australian program was the one that most addressed the very core of our mission.
- Badr Al Samaa Group - ACHS International Member
ACHS International is a trusted quality partner to healthcare organisations around the world. Our EQuIP standards are rigorously developed and accredited by the ISQua External Evaluation Association (IEEA), incorporating key principles benchmarked against Australian standards for patient-centered care, continuous quality improvement, and measurable outcomes.
You can learn about our quality improvement programs here.
