'Father of Medicare' dies, aged 87

The man dubbed "the father of Medicare" in Australia, John Deeble, has died aged 87 in Canberra.

The Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association (AHHA) chief executive Alison Verhoeven announced the death of the professor, who left school at 15 and later co-authored the original proposals for universal health insurance in 1968 with Dr Dick Scotton.

The original proposals led to the establishment of Medicare's forerunner Medibank under the Whitlam government in the 1970s.

Professor Deeble was then involved in the reintroduction of universal healthcare in 1984, which was renamed as Medicare.