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The Australian health care system comprises a mixture of public and private systems; the public (universal) system includes the federal government‐funded Medicare program. This program subsidises approved medical services and medicines, although many treatments require patient co‐payments. Several studies of out‐of‐pocket costs for cancer care in Australia have been based on these co‐payments, providing valuable information but potentially missing other health care‐related out‐of‐pocket costs, such as unsubsidised care and treatment‐related travel and accommodation. Other studies have included a broader range of cost types, but were limited to selected cancer types or a single rural area. Nevertheless, some studies have reported very high out‐of‐pocket health care costs that could lead to inequities in health care, particularly if timely access to all treatment options is available only to people with adequate financial resources. More comprehensive population‐wide information on out‐of‐pocket costs and their relationship with patients’ characteristics is needed.

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Authors: David E Goldsbury, Philip Haywood, Alison Pearce, Louisa G Collins, Deme Karikios, Karen Canfell, Julia Steinberg and Marianne F Weber

Article Type: Research