More than 50 per cent of Wollongong patients are forced to pay a contribution for non-hospital Medicare costs according to a report released on Thursday.
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The report, Patients’ out-of-pocket spending on Medicare services, looked at health services that were delivered outside of hospitals and subsidised by Medicare, including GP, specialist, imaging and obstetric services.
While governments contributed $19 billion towards these services across the nation in 2016–17, $3 billion was paid for by patients.
However, the proportion of patients that were out-of-pocket and the amount they paid varied greatly across Australia, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report revealed.
For instance in Barkly in the Northern Territory, just 9.5 per cent of residents had out-of-pocket expenses, with a median cost of $86. In South Canberra 77.5 per cent had to pay a contribution, with a median of $213.
Within the Illawarra, there were variations too. Around 53 per cent of Wollongong patients had out-of-pocket costs; with the median cost being $147.
By comparison, 44 per cent of Kiama and Shellharbour residents had out-of-pocket costs, paying a median of $147.
And 39 per cent of residents in Dapto and Port Kembla residents had to pay a contribution, with a median cost of $142.
“A range of factors can influence out-of-pocket costs,” AIHW spokesman Michael Frost said. “These can include the types of services the patient requires, the availability of bulk billing and the cost of services in their area.”
There was also variation for different services – for instance in Wollongong about 30 per cent of residents had to pay a contribution for GP services but a massive 75 per cent had a gap when visiting a specialist.
Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association chief executive Alison Verhoeven said the report showed how “misleading” bulk-billing figures could be.
“Governments are continually claiming bulk-billing figures of around 85 per cent for services typically provided out of hospital by GPs, specialists, and imaging and obstetric services,” she said.
‘This gives the impression that in 85 per cent of all GP and similar doctor consultations, the patient doesn’t pay a cent.
“The reality, seen in the AIHW report, is that across Australia one in every two such patients accessing Medicare-subsidised services had to pay something out of their pocket in 2016–17.”
Out-of-pocket costs putting patients off
Illawarra residents are putting their health on hold due to spiralling out-of-pocket costs, Whitlam MP Stephen Jones said.
Mr Jones was responding to a new report released this week which revealed that 53 per cent of Wollongong residents were being forced to pay a contribution for non-hospital Medicare costs including GP, specialist and imaging services.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report, Wollongong residents were paying a median cost of $147 in 2016/17.
“This confirms what we know – that out-of-pocket costs are growing,” Mr Jones said.
“We also know that these costs are a deterrent – if people feel they can’t afford it, they’ll delay that visit to their GP, or a follow-up with a specialist. And they’ll delay getting those essential imaging tests, which means that their diagnosis and treatment is delayed also.”
Mr Jones called on the Federal government to lift the freeze on Medicare rebates, and “reverse the cuts on health and hospital spending”.
“The sad consequence is that if people can’t get access to their healthcare through their GP, then they’ll end up attending a hospital emergency department – which ends up costing the government more,” he said.
