![]() ![]() Patients can also be encouraged to ask about the out-of-pocket cost when booking an appointment or during the visit.īut this does not help patients who are usually in a vulnerable position, who want care quickly, do not have the information or time to shop around, and might think the care they receive will be affected if they ask about cost.ĭoctors set their own fees and many use the Australian Medical Association fee schedule as guidance. It could be better if these websites were used by GPs when referring patients to specialists. There’s also the risk doctors could use these websites to see what other doctors are charging and increase their fees. Not all consumers can or want to use them. Our review on price transparency websites in healthcare shows they may not work for consumers. The assumption is that by providing consumers with more information, they will make better choices.īut this is too simplistic because information can be difficult to get and understand, and these websites don’t include data on the quality of care. However, these websites rely entirely on consumers doing the ‘leg work’ by shopping around to reduce their out-of-pocket costs. Some private health insurers also have such websites. The Coalition introduced a price transparency website in 2019 that provides estimates of out-of-pocket costs for private hospital care, with plans for doctors to voluntarily upload their fees. However, neither of the major parties are doing anything about the continuing and much larger increases in specialists’ out-of-pocket costs. This includes Labor’s proposal for new urgent care centres, which would provide bulk-billed services to take the pressure off emergency departments. In any election there is always a focus on access to GPs and bulk billing. So any announcement may have been better targeted at areas where out-of-pocket costs are growing more quickly. This announcement, made in this year’s budget, would make medicines cheaper or free for people who need multiple scripts a year.īut this is an area where out-of-pocket costs have been falling for some time compared with other areas of spending. The Coalition has promised to lower the safety net threshold for the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Health policies announced by the major parties ahead of the Federal Election do not necessarily translate into lower out-of-pocket health costs, or focus on the most pressing issue. Doctors may also flock to high-earning specialties while we have a shortage of GPs – who are paid half as much as specialists. They may provide skewed incentives to doctors, leading to overdiagnosis and overtreatment. High doctors’ fees have other consequences. ![]() Yet it is less-affluent people who have to wait to see a specialist in a public hospital. This more strongly affects people who need healthcare the most.įor instance, access to timely specialist care in Australia depends on your income and ability to pay.Īlthough richer people use more specialist care, on average, it is less-affluent people who have higher need for healthcare. There is ample evidence out-of-pocket costs reduce access to, and use of, healthcare. Out-of-pocket costs are rising, Medicare statistics show. Only 35.1% of specialist consultations were bulk billed in 2020−21 compared with 88.8% of GP services.įor private (multi-day) hospital care in 2019–20, 43.7% of separations (hospital admissions that include procedures and operations) had no hospital or medical out-of-pocket costs. Out-of-pocket healthcare costs cover a range of expenses not covered by Medicare or private health insurance, such as doctors’ fees for consultations and surgery. So, many Australian families are finding it increasingly difficult to keep up.Įarlier this year, a major consumer survey found 30% of people with chronic conditions were not confident they could afford needed healthcare if they became seriously ill 14% could not pay for healthcare or medicine because of a shortage of money. The rising cost of specialists’ fees, in particular, are a concern. Healthcare costs are also rising faster than wages. We heard just this week how healthcare costs are rising faster than other costs of living pressures. Rising out-of-pocket costs for healthcare is an important issue the major parties have not yet substantially addressed during the election campaign. Medicare statistics show that patient out-of-pocket costs continue to climb. ![]() But the major political parties have barely mentioned it. Rising out-of-pocket health costs are a worry. ![]()
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