The growth in out-of-pocket costs to see a GP is a tangible sign that our world-beating health system is strained.
During 25 years reporting about economics I’ve learnt one indicator tells you more than any other about a nation’s welfare: longevity. Show me a nation where citizens can expect to live long, healthy lives, and I’ll show you a place that is getting plenty of things right.published recently by the Bureau of Statistics ranked Australia third in the world for life expectancy at 84.53 years just behind Japan and Monaco . Aussie blokes do even better, coming in at No.
Having to fork out more than $40 to see a GP is a major impost for many families under pressure due to the lingering cost-of-living crunch. Aby the Bureau of Statistics found 7 per cent of Australians said cost was a “reason for delaying or not using” a GP in 2022-23, up from 3.5 per cent the year before. That proportion climbed to 10 per cent among those aged between 25 and 34.A Medicare rebate freeze between 2013 and 2018 is one reason out-of-pocket costs have become more noticeable.
Many of those who put off going to the GP or specialist will inevitably end up in public hospitals. For some, their health problems will have become more serious, and more costly to treat.
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