Healthcare in Crisis: One in Two Australians Forced to Forgo Medical Treatment Due to Soaring Costs
- A staggering 50% of Australians skipped medical appointments, tests, or prescriptions last year due to unaffordable costs, a new report reveals.
- The Consumers Health Forum survey of over 5,100 Australians exposes a healthcare system that has become increasingly unaffordable, with low-income earners, those with chronic illnesses, and diverse communities disproportionately affected.
- As the cost-of-living crisis deepens, Australians are being forced to make “life and death” decisions about their health, with many delaying vital treatment due to financial constraints.
- The report highlights the need for urgent reform, with more health workers, lower costs for care and medicines, and better access to healthcare deemed critical to addressing the crisis.
Ella Helman, a 36-year-old public servant and mother of three, knows all too well the struggles of affording healthcare. Despite having a dual income, she’s been forced to cut back on essential medical appointments for her children, who have multiple food allergies.
“It feels like every single year it’s getting tighter and tighter,” she says. “We have a mortgage, and we’re really struggling to pay for everything that we need to.”
The situation is even more dire for Ella’s 60-year-old mother, Cathy, who lives in public housing and relies on the disability pension. “She struggles daily just to meet her basic needs, let alone preventive health,” Ella explains.
“It’s the things that are bubbling under the surface, but there’s no money there to get them addressed, and then eventually they become major, major problems.”
The Consumers Health Forum report paints a stark picture of a healthcare system in crisis. One in two Australians missed out on healthcare they needed last year, mainly due to cost.
The survey found that 55% of people who didn’t fill a prescription or take medicine when needed cited affordability as the reason, up from 47% the previous year.
Almost 50% of those who skipped recommended medical tests or appointments said they couldn’t afford to, compared to 44% in 2024.
The report also reveals that financial stress is a key social determinant of health, with over 35% of people experiencing financial difficulties, such as asking for help from family and friends, skipping meals, or pawning items to get by.
While Australians showed moderate confidence in the healthcare system, only one in three felt confident they could afford care if they became seriously ill.
Analysis: What This Means for Australia
The crisis in healthcare affordability has significant implications for national productivity and the economy. As the cost of living continues to rise, Australians are being forced to make difficult decisions about their health, leading to delayed or foregone treatment.
This not only affects individuals and families but also puts a strain on the public healthcare system, which is already under pressure.
Security analysts warn that the lack of access to affordable healthcare can lead to a range of negative outcomes, including increased hospitalization rates, reduced economic productivity, and a decline in overall health and wellbeing.
Furthermore, the report highlights the need for urgent reform to address the entrenched inequities in the healthcare system, which disproportionately affect low-income earners, those with chronic illnesses, and diverse communities.
“Australians still trust the care they receive,” says Elizabeth Deveny, CEO of the Consumers Health Forum. “What they don’t trust is whether they can afford it when they need it.
That gap between confidence in care and confidence in affordability is the fault line in our health system.”
The report’s findings have sparked calls for immediate action to address the crisis in healthcare affordability.
With the upcoming May federal budget, there is an opportunity to make meaningful changes to the healthcare system, including increasing funding for health workers, reducing the cost of care and medicines, and improving access to healthcare for all Australians.
As Ella Helman so eloquently puts it, “Healthcare in the public system needs to be free and accessible.
It’s almost like all of the decisions made by policy makers and government officials are treating them as one cohort, and saying… ‘We don’t think you deserve a quality of life that is equal to these other people who are working and generating money through taxes.’ To be honest, I’m really sick of it.
And I think that we need serious action to bring equity back into the healthcare system.”
Industry observers believe that the government must take a proactive approach to addressing the crisis in healthcare affordability, including increasing funding for health workers, reducing the cost of care and medicines, and improving access to healthcare for all Australians.
Only then can we ensure that everyone has access to the healthcare they need, regardless of their income or circumstances.
