Posted by Michael Wonder on 15 Apr 2019
'Missing out on basic health care': Australians spend $34 billion a year on out-of-pocket health costs
15 April 2019 - Australians are paying more for health care than most other developed nations, forking out $34 billion a year on out-of-pocket health costs, an analysis of official data reveals.
The latest data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that of the $181 billion spent annually on health, 19% is paid directly from patients' pockets.
Those out of pocket costs equate to 3% of Australian household spending, the third-highest in the OECD behind South Korea (5.7%) and Sweden (3.8%).
