Making specialist care more accessible
Australians are facing growing challenges accessing timely and affordable medical specialist care.
Specialist workforce shortages, long waiting times, rising out-of-pocket costs, limited fee transparency and fragmented referral pathways are making it harder for patients to get the care they need, particularly in regional, rural and remote Australia.
In its submission to the House Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability’s Inquiry into access to and affordability of medical specialists in Australia, Bupa calls for reforms to improve specialist access, affordability and patient choice.
Bupa recommends stronger national specialist workforce planning and regional training pathways, greater transparency of specialist fees and waiting times, improved informed financial consent and protections against unexpected out-of-pocket costs.
The submission also calls for greater use of GP-specialist consultations, shared care, telehealth and virtual specialist care, Hospital in the Home, and nationally interoperable digital referral pathways. These reforms would help patients access the right care sooner, make better use of Australia’s specialist workforce and strengthen the sustainability of the health system.
