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An increasing number of Australians are putting off seeing their GP about their health issues in order to cut costs, ABS statistics on patient experiences have revealed.
According to the data, 7% of individuals who needed to see a GP in 2022-23 either delayed, or did not see one, due to cost. This was particularly common for 15 to 24-year-olds (23%), compared with those aged 65 and over (8.6%), and was double the 3.5% of individuals the ABS recorded making the same decision in 2021-2.
A Long-Term Problem
However, Australians prioritising saving money at the expense of their health is a problem that existed before 2021, and prior to inflation peaking at 7.8% in December 2022 and the most recent CPI of 4.1%, which remains higher than the RBA’s target of 2% to 3%.
In 2019, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found that more than a million Australians put off seeing a doctor due to out-of-pocket expenses.
The ABS data also reveals that 19.3% of patients delayed, or did not see a health professional, for their mental health specifically, as they could not afford it. This figure rose from 16.7% in 2021-22.
Some 10.5% of individuals blamed cost for putting off, or not seeing, a medical specialist when needed, up from 8% in 2021-22. Meanwhile, those who delayed visiting or did not attend hospital when needed jumped from 1.8% in 2021-22, to 3.2% in 2022-23.
Some 7.6% of individuals delayed, or didn’t purchase prescription medication, in 2022-23, compared to 5.6% in 2021-22.
Socio-Economic Disparities Despite Bulk-Billing
The latest data from accounting firm PwC shows many Australians pay for Medicare services out-of-pocket. Despite 80.2% of Medicare GP services being bulk-billed with no out-of-pocket costs, according to the latest federal government figures, cost remains an obstacle to Australians receiving healthcare.
PwC’s data also backs the ABS’ research in showing individuals living in areas of most socio-economic disadvantage as the worst affected by high medical costs.
The ABS found that this group was more likely than those living in areas of least disadvantage to delay or not see a dental professional (26.1% compared to 11.1%).
PwC found a gap in healthcare across socio-economic groups, as well as between the indigenous and non-indigenous population.
