The $2,000 medical bill Australians didn’t see coming: how you can avoid it
Key takeaways
- Australians spent an average of $1,996 out of pocket on medical appointments in the past year, according to Finder's Health Report.
- 1 in 10 Australians paid more than $3,000 out of pocket on healthcare in the past 12 months.
- Even Australians with private health insurance can still face significant out-of-pocket costs.
Most Australians assume their health insurance has them covered. The reality is, even with a policy, the bills can still add up.
New data from Finder's Health Report reveals the average Australian with out-of-pocket medical costs spent $1,996 in the past year, nearly $2,000 on top of whatever they're already paying in premiums or through their taxes.
More than a quarter (27%) of Aussies reported some level of out-of-pocket healthcare costs over the past 12 months.
For most, the bills were manageable but still significant. Around 30% spent between $301 and $1,000, while 27% kept costs under $300.
But for a notable chunk, the bills were far more serious. Almost 1 in 6 Australians forked out between $1,001 and $3,000, and 1 in 10 spent more than $3,000 out of pocket on healthcare in a single year.
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The hidden health insurance gap
One of the more telling statistics from the report were the number of Aussies who misinterpreted the details of their health insurance policy.
1 in 5 Australians (18%) reportedly paid out of pocket for a medical service they fully expected their extras insurance to cover.
It's a scenario many Aussies are familiar with, where having health insurance doesn't automatically mean being insulated from big medical bills.
The detail of what's actually covered, and what isn't, matters enormously, and it's something many people don't look into until after they've purchased a policy.
For Australians finding themselves regularly out of pocket, it's worth taking a closer look at whether their current policy is actually delivering value, or whether a better-matched level of cover could reduce what they're paying at the point of care.
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