Essays & reportage
4 March 2020
What history can and can’t tell us about the likely spread of Covid-19
National affairs
2 March 2020
The coronavirus’s biggest threat comes from panicky consumers and inept policymakers
Correspondents
26 February 2020
Japan approaches its Olympics across a tightrope of risk
International
24 February 2020
In key areas, America’s performance is slipping compared to its peers
National affairs
21 February 2020
Politically motivated spending is dwarfing the controversy that claimed a minister
National affairs
13 February 2020
The latest Closing the Gap report brings cause both for scepticism and for guarded optimism
International
2 February 2020
The coronavirus strikes at both the strongest and the most vulnerable features of the Chinese system
National affairs
1 January 2020
Hundreds more deaths will result from the particulates created by Australia’s current crop of bushfires
National affairs
31 October 2019
Extending the reach of the private insurance sector would compound problems in the way Australia finances healthcare
National affairs
7 September 2019
Hooked on subsidies, the system is failing. The government needs to move beyond its prejudices about public and private financing
National affairs
14 May 2019
Vaccination campaigns need careful shaping to avoid alienating the can’ts and the won’ts
Podcasts
15 April 2019
Australia’s last big healthcare reform was in the 1970s. As the election campaign gets under way, two analysts discuss urgently needed changes with Peter Clarke
National affairs
22 March 2019
Australia needs a universal dental care scheme, but how do we get from here to there?
National affairs
15 February 2019
Would a Health Reform Commission give a Labor government the cover it needs to deal with powerful interest groups?
Essays & reportage
20 December 2018
Prisoners exist in a healthcare limbo, and the effects on their wellbeing can be profound
National affairs
10 December 2018
Mental health inquiries are more frequent than iPhone updates, says one observer, yet the results have been disappointing. Do we need to radically change our assumptions?
National affairs
12 November 2018
Could there be such a thing as a healthy airport?
National affairs
24 October 2018
Fast-rising medical expenses are restricting access to healthcare and increasing long-term costs
National affairs
16 October 2018
Australia’s innovative preventive health agency was closed down by the Abbott government. How — and in what form — should it be revived?
National affairs
1 October 2018
If altruism won’t motivate Australia to increase spending on eradicating tuberculosis, how about self-interest?
National affairs
25 September 2018
There’s a straightforward way of making sure more doctors work where they’re needed
National affairs
5 September 2018
While the federal government plays politics with climate change, states and community groups are trying to head off a public health crisis
International
28 May 2018
Maternal and infant mortality rates in the United States are already shamefully high, and the Trump administration’s policies are making them worse. But California is…
Books & arts
22 May 2018
Books | Does the wellness movement ignore important truths (and take up too much of our time)?
International
13 April 2018
America’s opioid crisis won’t be solved by the Mexican wall and capital punishment. Meanwhile, deaths keep rising, and Australia isn’t immune
National affairs
15 December 2017
Governments have yet to create a coherent strategy to help the almost three million Australians providing informal care
National affairs
30 October 2017
The Productivity Commission’s healthcare recommendations might not go far enough, but they could still be too bold for the government
National affairs
17 October 2017
The government’s focus on private health insurance premiums ignores the real costs of a two-tiered system
National affairs
29 September 2017
We know the placebo effect exists, but do we know enough about its medical potential?
Essays & reportage
24 August 2017
Extract | An intensive care specialist argues for more help for the carers of people suffering cognitive decline