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- Title
Out‐of‐pocket fees for health care in Australia: implications for equity.
- Authors
Callander, Emily J
- Abstract
However, the disconnect between the schedule fee and the fees charged by providers still leaves patients vulnerable to open-ended out-of-pocket fees (Box). Keywords: Economics, medical; Health financing; Health policy; Health systems; Healthcare disparities; Socioeconomic status EN Economics, medical Health financing Health policy Health systems Healthcare disparities Socioeconomic status 294 297 4 04/18/23 20230415 NES 230415 Out-of-pocket fees create access barriers to health care, exacerbating health inequalities In Australia, 15% of all expenditure on health care comes directly from individuals in the form of out-of-pocket fees - this is almost double the amount contributed by private health insurers.[1] There is concern that vulnerable groups - socio-economically disadvantaged people and older Australians in particular, who also have higher health care needs - are spending larger proportions of their incomes on out-of-pocket fees for health care.[2] A 2019 study identified that one in three low income households are spending more than 10% of their income on health care.[3] This might create economic hardship, and individuals do forgo care,[4] with one in four Australians without a health care condition and up to one in two with certain health conditions avoiding care because of the cost.[4] Health care services in Australia are delivered through a mixture of public and private providers, with governments subsidising the costs of care but out-of-pocket fees remaining a significant component.[5] Australia is not unique in this, with similar systems in New Zealand, Ireland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. 3 Callander EJ, Fox H, Lindsay D. Out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure in Australia: trends, inequalities and the impact on household living standards in a high-income country with a universal health care system.
- Subjects
AUSTRALIA; MEDICAL care; MEDICARE; MEDICAL care costs; ADMINISTRATIVE fees; HEALTH equity; HEALTH insurance subsidies; MEDICAL personnel
- Publication
Medical Journal of Australia, 2023, Vol 218, Issue 7, p294
- ISSN
0025-729X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.5694/mja2.51895