Differential effect of socioeconomic status on rates of invasive coronary procedures across the public and private sectors in Queensland, Australia

摘要

Free access to health care for all Australians is enshrined in the publicly funded Medicare programme, which coexists with and subsidises the private sector. Information about equitable access under this system is scarce. In other countries with free health insurance, patients of low socioeconomic status (SES) have low rates of invasive coronary procedures (ICP): angiography, angioplasty, and bypass surgery. The purpose of this study was to examine whether SES has a differential effect on ICP rates across the public and private sectors in Queensland (population: 3.5 million), Australia.