Finding ways of curbing government expenditure on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) while maintaining social equity and access to 'essential' medicines is at the centre of ongoing public debate. This article describes a microsimulation model of the PBS that simulates current and future...

The Australian Government introduced the so-called 'AUSTUDY Supplement' in the 1992-93 budget. The scheme gives AUSTUDY recipients the option of trading in up to $2000 per year of their grant for $4000 of an income-contingent loan, to be paid back according to the current HECS arrangements,...

Changes in hospital admission rates and costs in New South Wales (NSW) between 1996-97 and 2000-01 were examined by age, hospital type and socioeconomic status. A novel method led to a more accurate assessment of hospital patients' socio-economic status than was previously possible. Use of unit...

The distributional impact of public expenditure on such programs as health, education and housing is frequently ignored in studies of income distribution. This may bias assessment of both the relative living standards of different types of families at any particular point in time and of trends...