Young Aussies say they’re putting off specialist medical appointments due to soaring costs, as a new report reveals just how Medicare is failing to keep up with medical needs.
The report, from online health directory Cleanbill and first published by The Guardian on Thursday, found that out of pocket costs for specialist dermatologist appointments have sky-rocketed by more than 40 per cent over the last eight years.
In March 2017, the average out-of-pocket cost to see a derm was $148.73, with a Medicare rebate of $72.75.
However, in March 2025, the average out-of-pocket cost to see a derm was $210.18, with a Medicare rebate of $84.15. That’s more than 3.5 times the Medicare rebate.
And while this report might have been looking specifically at the rising cost of dermatologists, additional data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows the number of Aussies putting off specialist care has risen by 724,000 in seven years.
“These out-of-pocket costs far exceed the increases that we’ve seen to the Medicare rebate,” Cleanbill’s chief executive James Gillespie said.
On top of that, a specialist appointment requires a GP referral, which are increasingly abandoning bulk billing. It’s a second out-of-pocket cost that “stacks one on top of the other”, Gillespie said.
PEDESTRIAN.TV asked young Australians what costs they were paying (or avoiding) when it came to specialist appointments. Here’s what they said.
So how much are young Aussies having to cough up for specialists?
With Medicare rebates straight up sluggish compared to the pace specialist fees are rising, tons of young people say they’re having to shell out serious dosh to get their health checks. In many cases, it means dipping into their hard-earned savings or, even worse, pushing back appointments altogether.
For Pamela, 25, the decision to meet the specialist came down to whether she could realistically pay an eye-watering $1,500 a year towards PCOS check-ups.
“I was told seeing an endocrinologist every three months was the best way to keep my PCOS in check. These appointments were $500 out of pocket each time I went, which was just not sustainable for me and my financial situation,” she told PEDESTRIAN.TV.
“Needless to say, the appointments have been axed. I’m lucky enough to be in a position now where my health is doing much better, but I don’t know what I’d do if I got to a place where that frequency was needed again.”
Paige, 26, admitted she’s been weighing up meeting a endocrinologist as well, after suspecting she could have endometriosis. But like Pam, it’s that $500 price tag that’s made her hesitate.
“Genuinely, I saw the price and it’s almost double my rent! I thought ‘I can suffer [a little longer]’,” she said.
Plus, it would significantly weigh on her existing medical expenses, given she already needs to pay just over $230 per appointment for specialist physiotherapy to address a chronic spine injury.
“Some physios are definitely covered by rebates, it can depend on your provider, unfortunately mine isn’t. I had an accident in 2018, and it’s pretty specialist care, so I can’t go to any regular physio,” she said.
Reflecting on her experience managing this chronic condition, Paige said she’s been lucky enough to get a lot of her necessary scans back home in New Zealand, which can be sent over to any specialist here.
“I think I would honestly be thousands out of pocket if I didn’t have that,” she told P.TV.
Alex, 35, told PEDESTRIAN.TV that a number of compounding health issues meant spending more than $7,000 on specialist appointments in 2024 alone.
“My biggest expense last year after my mortgage was my health,” she said.
“Thankfully I got to the bottom of some of my health issues, but it was an expensive and time-consuming journey to get there. It’s put me in a state of wondering when the next medical crisis is going to rear its costly head.”
Many young Aussies told P.TV. that it’s not just their physical health that’s had to take a backseat due to these major costs. In 30-year-old Madi’s case, she was quoted $1,145 to see a psychiatrist in order to access her ADHD medication. This comes with a rebate of $444.90 for around an hour-long telehealth consultation, meaning she’s still got to come up with around $600 out of pocket.
“I literally got quoted this back in October last year and I still haven’t booked it in,” she said.
“I tell myself I’ll make do until I have some extra money [to spend]. I’ve had a lot of other expenses, like moving homes or planning holidays, that I’ve prioritised over this because it’s just a lot of money to drop.”
The NSW government has recently announced changes that will mean GPs can complete additional training to provide ongoing ADHD prescriptions for those on stable doses, in a bid to address costs and long-wait times for psychiatrists — but that’s not expected to start before 2026, and it will initially prioritise children.
The bottom line is, getting the care you need really shouldn’t feel like a luxury or something you need a savings plan for. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what it’s become for heaps of young people.
The post ‘Almost Double My Rent’: Young Aussies Are Putting Off Medical Appointments Due To Costs appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
