Why do Australians live so long?

I answered this, the last time this article was submitted, yesterday.

The Australian health care system which is a mix of government-funded care for everybody, including the rich. And privately-funded healthcare for those that can afford more convenience.

Which means that everybody can receive free healthcare from doctors and hospitals. And your private health insurance can cut queue times for elective surgeries.

I made the point that my cardiac bypass surgery 19 years ago which entailed the surgery itself, the two days in ICU, and another 3-4 days in a private room cost me absolutely nothing 'out of pocket'. Total cost was of the order of about $120,000 which was borne both by the government-funded part of the healthcare system and also by my private health insurance.

Yes I paid for some of that, with a health-levy on my taxes, and my private insurance premiums which covered both my wife and me and cost (then) about $3000 per year.