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Affordability of out-of-pocket health care expenses among older Australians

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  • Carpenter, Anthony
  • Islam, M. Mofizul
  • Yen, Laurann
  • McRae, Ian

Abstract

Australia has universal health insurance, and provides price concessions on health care and prescription pharmaceuticals through government subsidies. However Australia ranks among the highest OECD nations for out-of-pocket health care spending. With high prevalence of multimorbidity (27% aged 65 and over have 2 or more long-term health conditions) older Australians may face a severe financial burden from out-of-pocket health expenses. We surveyed 4574 members of National Seniors Australia aged 50 years or more on their inability to pay out-of-pocket health-related expenses across categories of medical consultations and tests, medications, dental appointments, allied health appointments (e.g. physiotherapy, podiatry) and transport to medical appointments or tests. Almost 4% of those surveyed were unable to afford out-of-pocket costs in at least one category of health care expenses in the previous 3 months. The odds of being unable to afford out-of-pocket medical costs increased with the number of chronic medical conditions (3 conditions: OR 3.05, 95% CI 1.17–6.30; 4 or more conditions: OR 3.45, 95% CI 1.34–7.28, compared with no chronic medical conditions). Despite Australia's universal health insurance, and safety nets for medical and pharmaceutical contributions, older Australians with multiple chronic conditions are at risk of being unable to afford out-of-pocket health care expenses.

Suggested Citation

  • Carpenter, Anthony & Islam, M. Mofizul & Yen, Laurann & McRae, Ian, 2015. "Affordability of out-of-pocket health care expenses among older Australians," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(7), pages 907-914.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:hepoli:v:119:y:2015:i:7:p:907-914
    DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2015.03.010
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mark Wooden & Simon Freidin & Nicole Watson, 2002. "The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA)Survey: Wave 1," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 35(3), pages 339-348, September.
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    2. Jane Robertson & David A Newby & Emily J Walkom, 2016. "Health Care Spending: Changes in the Perceptions of the Australian Public," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(6), pages 1-12, June.
    3. Stéphanie Baggio & Marc Dupuis & Hans Wolff & Patrick Bodenmann, 2018. "Associations of lack of voluntary private insurance and out-of-pocket expenditures with health inequalities. Evidence from an international longitudinal survey in countries with universal health cover," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(10), pages 1-13, October.
    4. Evelyn, Lee & Limin, Mao & John, de Wit & John, Rule & Andrew, Carr & Krista J, Siefried, 2021. "Impact of the removal of patient co-payments for antiretroviral therapy (ART) on out-of-pocket expenditure, adherence and virological failure among Australian adults living with HIV," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(9), pages 1131-1139.
    5. Netta Achdut & Lea Achdut, 2022. "Joint Income-Wealth Poverty in a Cross-National Perspective: The Role of Country-Level Indicators," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 164(1), pages 499-541, November.

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