This study investigates if the burden of out-of-pocket expenditure differs between individuals with and without private health insurance (PHI) and whether chronic conditions or hospitalisation increase this difference in Australia.
Findings indicate that PHI is associated with a greater share of income spend on out-of-pocket expenditures, and this share increases (in absolute terms) more strongly with need and utilization for individuals with PHI than it does for individuals without PHI. The study highlights that out-of-pocket expenditures remain a policy concern in Australia and suggest that that PHI does not appear to help solve it.
