Cost of living pressures having concerning impact on Australians healthcare decisions, finds new Australian Healthcare Index

Leading healthtech platform, Healthengine, helps Australians navigate the healthcare system with bulk billing visibility, price transparency and on-demand health as cost-of-living pressures bite.Cost-of-living pressures continue to have a negative impact on the way Australians address their health needs, with new research revealing concerning patterns of delayed GP and dental visits and people going without medication. The 6th Australian Healthcare Index (AHI) survey and report, undertaken by Healthengine and the Australian Patients Association, surveyed over nine thousand Australians, revealing:

• 75% of respondents said cost of living increases had impacted their healthcare decisions
• 60% of them are delaying GP/doctor visits
• 53% of them are delaying dental treatment
• 32% of them are postponing a diagnostic test or scan
• 28% of them are skipping buying needed medicine; and
• 26% of them are delaying mental health support.

As cost-of-living pressures bite, Australias leading healthtech platform, Healthengine, is doing its bit to help Australians find bulk-billing doctors, on-demand telehealth services and deliver price transparency across GP, dental and allied health.With over ten thousand primary practitioners on its platform, Healthengine users can:

• Search for and book a bulk billing doctor, including by suburb
• Search for and book after-hours GP appointments
• Access cheaper solutions where required, with price transparency from certain providers
• Find and book 24/7 GP telehealth for as little as $46.

Australian Patients Association CEO David Clarke said poor access to bulk billing, and out-of-pocket costs to see a doctor or GP, were among the top concerns for many Australians:

Recent editions of the Australian Health Index have helped bring the issue of cost into focus but the results of our latest survey are the starkest yet. To have people delaying and skipping important appointments and treatments because of costs creates downstream problems with higher risks that peoples health gets even worse. Only 50 percent of survey participants reported that they were fully bulk billed on their most recent visit to the GP. This isnt enough given the cost pressures people are living with.

Healthengine CEO Dan Stinton said that tech platforms like theirs help empower everyday Aussies with more choice and price transparency:

Tech platforms like Healthengine help provide more choice and greater access to cost-effective medical options, but a lot of people still dont know this service is there. Were working hard to help people find bulk billing doctors, or get access to a GP after work all at the click of a button.

For further information about the Australian Healthcare Index report, please visit: https://australianhealthcareindex.com.au.

For more informationplease contact press@healthengine.com.au

About Healthengine:

Healthengines mission is to improve access to healthcare by helping Australians find and connect with all primary care providers. It is Australias leading healthcare marketplace, bringing together millions of Australian patients, and more than 10 thousand primary practitioners powered by our technology across GP, dental, allied health and pharmacy - and growing. More than 85 million healthcare bookings have been made on the platform since it was founded in 2006. To find and connect with thousands of primary healthcare providers, all in one place, visit healthengine.com.au or download the Healthengine app. For healthcare providers, please visit practices.healthengine.com.au to learn more about our technology and join Australias largest primary healthcare marketplace.

About the Australian Patients Association: The Australian Patients Association (APA) is an independent not-for-profit organisation dedicated to championing and protecting the rights and interests of patients, improving the patient experience and their health outcomes, and promoting initiatives which improve affordability, accessibility and quality in our healthcare system. The APAs core patient values drive our mission. For more information, visit https://www.patients.org.au/

About The Australian Healthcare Index: The Australian Healthcare Index provides a pulse check on healthcare in Australia from patients perspectives and experiences. Its produced by Healthengine and the Australian Patients Association, with Painted Dog Research. A total of 9,391 adults across Australia participated in the supporting survey and provided personal points of view and experiences across the public and private healthcare ecosystem.