Health costs climb to $140b
September 26, 2013
Spending on medications in
Australia comprised just 14.2% of
total health expenditure in 2011-
12, which overall was estimated at
$140.2 billion.
According to the Health
Expenditure 2011-12 report
released this week by the
Australian Institute of Health and
Welfare, the largest components
of health spending were public
hospital services, at $42 billion or
31.8% of recurrent expenditure,
followed by medical services at
$23.9 billion (18.1%).
Medication costs amounted to
$18.8 billion, and interestingly
although total health spending as a
proportion of GDP was up slightly
to 9.5%, “our analysis of health
inflation suggests that in recent
years annual price rises in the
broader economy have generally
been greater than price rises in the
health sector,” stated AIHW ceo
David Kalisch.
Year-on-year increases in health
spending were highest for public
hospital services and medical
services, with medication costs
actually declining as a proportion of
total expenditure.
The report breaks out
expenditure by the federal and
state governments as well as health
insurers and individuals, with the
Commonwealth providing $59.5
billion of the funding, most of
which was direct expenditure on
the Medicare Benefits Schedule
and Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme.
To view the report CLICK HERE.
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