2 million Australians skip specialist visits yearly due to cost
A parliamentary inquiry is weighing reforms to ease access to specialist care in Australia.
Almost 2 million Australians delay or skip seeing a specialist each year due to cost and long public waitlists. A parliamentary inquiry is examining a complete overhaul of how specialist care works.
One proposal would fund GPs to consult with specialists by phone or video. This could reduce the need for some face-to-face appointments.
A Queensland pilot found that 86 per cent of cases avoided a specialist visit after their GP got specialist advice. Australians spent more than $4 billion on private specialist services in 2025.
This is an increase of more than 75 per cent since 2019. The health department predicts a shortage of almost 7,000 specialists by 2033.
- Almost 2 million annually
- People skipping visits
- $4 billion in 2025
- Private specialist spending
- 75 per cent since 2019
- Spending increase
- Almost 7,000 by 2033
- Specialist shortage forecast
Why it mattersSpecialist shortages and high out-of-pocket costs push people to delay or skip care.
AustraliaFor Australians struggling with specialist costs, this inquiry could lead to cheaper, faster access to specialist advice through their GP, and shorter public waitlists.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
