Share
Despite Medicare being introduced in 1984 to provide ‘fair and affordable’ health care to all Australians, many are now faced with extra costs for visits to the doctor, having prescriptions filled and diagnostic referrals such as blood tests and x-rays. New research conducted by The Australia Institute reveals that in total Australians are paying more than $1 billion each year in out-of-pocket expenses for their medical care.
Related documents
Between the Lines Newsletter
The biggest stories and the best analysis from the team at the Australia Institute, delivered to your inbox every fortnight.
You might also like
Private health insurance is for the rich – the rest would rather better public health
ATO figures show that private health insurance is favoured by the rich and it should be subject to GST
Australia’s health system is in intensive care, and the GST flatline is to blame
Australia’s health system needs intensive care, and so does the tax system that funds it.
Health funding is one of our trickiest issues – here’s a politically sweet fix
For the past few years, a growing problem has put healthcare budgets under increasing stress. State and territory governments have been trying to do more with less, and it is all starting to come apart at the seams. Extra money for healthcare during the pandemic hid the problem for a while. But, with those emergency