Need to See a Specialist? You Might Have to Choose Between High Costs and a Long Wait. Here’s What Needs to Change

Need to see a specialist? You might have to choose between high costs and a long wait. Here’s what needs to change

Too many people miss out on seeing specialist doctors, while others face long waits or high costs. A new Grattan Institute report outlines a blueprint for reform.

1 in 5 Australians Who Need Specialist Care Delaying or Skipping It Entirely: Report

Australians face a tough choice: pay hundreds out of pocket or face long, sometimes dangerous delays for specialist care. A Grattan Institute report warns the current health system is struggling with soaring costs and workforce shortages. One in five Australians who need specialist care delay or skip it entirely. That’s around 1.9 million people a year, with nearly half of them—close to one million—citing cost as the primary barrier, according t…

Grattan Institute urges federal government to strip Medicare funding from high-fee specialists

Specialist doctors that charge patients excessive fees would lose their Medicare funding and be named and shamed under a new proposal to ensure Australians can access the care they need. One in 10 patients are spending almost $600 a year in specialist fees, which have soared 73 per cent in real terms since 2010, according to a new Grattan Institute report. Psychiatry, endocrinology, cardiology and pediatrics had the largest average out-of-pocket…

Need to see specialist You might have to choose between high costs long wait. Here’s what needs to change

Melbourne, Jun 16 (The Conversation) If you have cancer, a disease such as diabetes or dementia, or need to manage

AMA calls for urgent Medicare rebate reforms to meet rising healthcare costs

AMA calls for urgent Medicare rebate reforms to meet rising healthcare costs chunter Mon, 16/06/2025 - 12:10 The Australian Medical Associations says the Grattan Institute’s report into non-GP specialist fees highlights the urgent need for reforms to ensure Medicare rebates keep pace with the rising costs of delivering timely, high-quality healthcare to all Australians. AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen said the report underscored the need for …