▁benefit . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Health ▁ins urance ▁prior ▁to ▁Med ib ank ▁There ▁was ▁an ▁increase ▁in ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁Austral ians ▁covered ▁by ▁health ▁ins urance ▁plans ▁following ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War . ▁However , ▁a ▁large ▁proportion ▁of ▁the ▁Australian ▁population ▁continued ▁to ▁lack ▁coverage ▁for ▁health ▁ris ks ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁ 1 7 % ▁of ▁Austral ians ▁outside ▁of ▁Queensland ▁( which ▁had ▁a ▁free ▁public ▁health ▁care ▁system ) ▁were ▁un ins ured , ▁most ▁of ▁whom ▁were ▁on ▁low ▁in comes . ▁ ▁Med ib ank ▁( 1 9 7 5 – 7 6 ) ▁The ▁Whit lam ▁Labor ▁government , ▁elected ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁sought ▁to ▁put ▁an ▁end ▁to ▁the ▁two - t ier ▁system ▁by ▁extending ▁health care ▁coverage ▁to ▁the ▁entire ▁population . ▁Before ▁the ▁Labor ▁Party ▁came ▁to ▁office , ▁Bill ▁Hay den , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁Labor ▁Party ' s ▁front ▁ben ch ▁members ▁of ▁parliament , ▁took ▁the ▁main ▁responsibility ▁for ▁developing ▁the ▁pre lim inary ▁plans ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁universal ▁health ▁scheme . ▁ ▁Med ib ank ▁started ▁on ▁schedule ▁on ▁ 1 ▁July ▁ 1 9 7 5 . ▁In ▁nine ▁months , ▁the ▁Health ▁In sur ance ▁Commission ▁( H IC ) ▁had ▁increased ▁its ▁staff ▁from ▁ 2 2 ▁to ▁ 3 5 0 0 , ▁opened ▁ 8 1 ▁offices , ▁installed ▁