Percentage of patients with out-of-pocket costs for specialist attendances. A claim is classified as a specialist attendance if the item is in the Broad Type of Service group: Specialist attendance (C/200) and the service is not conducted in a hospital to an admitted patient. Specialist attendances are Medicare-subsidised referred patient/doctor encounters, such as visits, consultations, and attendances by video conference, involving medical practitioners who have been recognised as specialists or consultant physicians for Medicare benefits purposes.

Number of patients whose annual out-of-pocket cost (fee charged minus benefit paid) for all eligible claims for the relevant service type processed between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017 was greater than zero.

Number of patients who had at least one eligible claim for the relevant service type processed between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017.

Patients were excluded if the sum of eligible services in the year was less than one, or if their annual out-of-pocket expenditure on those eligible services was less than zero. Specialist attendances exclude obstetric attendances, which are included in the 'Obstetrics' Broad Type of Service group in official MBS claims data.

None

By Primary Health Network (PHN) and Statistical Areas Level 3 (SA3s).

Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS)

www.aihw.gov.au/reports-data/indicators/healthy-community-indicators?areaCode=national&topicCode=primaryhealthcare

www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/b8aa77a2-5b52-46e4-b40b-2991bda98db7/aihw-mhc-hpf-35-patients-out-of-pocket-spending-technical-note.pdf.aspx