What aspect of healthcare does private insurance primarily provide?

Private insurance primarily provides supplemental services. This means that it offers additional coverage for services that may not be fully covered by the public healthcare system, Medicare, in Australia. For instance, private insurance can include benefits for private hospital stays, certain specialist consultations, dental care, physiotherapy, and elective surgeries. Individuals often seek private insurance to reduce wait times and gain more options regarding their healthcare providers.

In contrast, universal coverage refers to the system where all citizens have access to basic health services regardless of their income, which is the hallmark of public healthcare systems. Free prescriptions can be a part of public health systems and assistance programs rather than what private insurance offers. Public health initiatives are typically funded and managed by the government, aiming to improve the health of the population as a whole, rather than focusing on individual coverage, which is the realm of private insurance.