LAUSR

In Australia, 15% of all expenditure on health care comes directly from individuals in the form of outofpocket fees — this is almost double the amount contributed by private health insurers.1 There is concern that vulnerable groups — socioeconomically disadvantaged people and older Australians in particular, who also have higher health care needs — are spending larger proportions of their incomes on outofpocket fees for health care.2 A 2019 study identified that one in three low income households are spending more than 10% of their income on health care.3 This might create economic hardship, and individuals do forgo care,4 with one in four Australians without a health care condition and up to one in two with certain health conditions avoiding care because of the cost.4