Regulatory And Government Funding Agency Consideration Of Monetary Costs To The Cancer Patient

The Australian healthcare system aims to provide accessible healthcare to all citizens, and on a global scale it appears to achieve good health outcomes, with relative efficiency. However, the system is complex and despite various public funding programs, numerous out-of-pocket expenses to patients remain; in cancer patients these are estimated to be significant. The types of costs associated with healthcare are described here, as are the main public healthcare funding schemes in Australia. Decision-makers for these schemes do request information regarding patient costs in economic analyses, however the extent to which cost data are available is limited. Generally and primarily for the practical reasons-but sometimes with a philosophical consideration-only limited information on patient healthcare-related costs will have been considered before a funding recommendation is made. There is a concern that without increased consideration of patient costs, the existing network of public funding schemes in Australia may not adequately ensure the affordability of healthcare.