Australian Women Pay Higher than Men for Basic Healthcare

Did you know about the pink tax?

Australian women are aware of this because they pay for many products and services. They cover everything from haircuts to clothing and various articles. However, the biggest concern is paying a pink tax for healthcare services. This is the least discussed topic in the country. The Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) shows gender inequality if it is closely monitored.

MBS is actually an insurance scheme that Australians can leverage to access healthcare facilities. These facilities cover a wide spectrum of health and hospital services at no cost or minimum cost. This facility is run by taxpayers who pay a recommended (2%) of their taxable income to cover costs. This recommended fee includes services like medical procedures, consultations, and diagnostic services. Sometimes, this cost exceeds the recommended price. At that time, practitioners charge an additional fee. Typically, it is termed an out-of-pocket medical expense. Overall, the difference between the actual cost and the recommended fee is defined as the out-of-pocket cost, which the patient bears.

Women across Australia are the biggest victims of this facility. Their health-based expenses are higher than those of men. Considering this difference, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists made a request to the Department of Health and Aged Care. It put several MBS items in bold, showing a gendered bias. Consider the case of Medicare funding for obstetric and gynecological ultrasound. Charging for this medical service is inadequate.   

Differences in Women’s Medicare Plan and Rebates

Generally, the Medicare charge is higher. It includes the ultrasound scanning of the scrotum, which consists of a single organ. The overall cost of scanning is higher than its rebate.

The ultrasounds on women may be costly because they require separate scanning of multiple organs, like the uterus, urinary bladder, bowel, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and all connected structures of the uterus to pelvis, for medical assessment. The federal government certainly reimburses money, but it’s way less than the scanning of the men’s scrotal. This is certainly inequality.

Moreover, the ultrasound scans during the mid-pregnancy phase are minimally reimbursed. The rebate on scanning, which helps doctors assess if all the organs inside a growing fetus are healthy, is lower than a scrotal ultrasound. Overall, a pregnant woman has to pay the difference (overall cost minus rebate), which leaves her out of pocket. This is a significant difference that a woman has to bear.

Difference In Contraceptive Care Cost

The bias can be seen extending to contraceptive care for men and women. A vasectomy typically lasts 15–20 minutes, and the medical rebate is more than $200. Considering the rebate of a similar procedure for women, namely an intrauterine device (IUD) insertion, it can take a longer time. And for it, she gets a rebate of just $75, while paying more than the rebate. But she has to bring that amount from her pocket because she does not have any other choice but to pay for safe, reliable contraception. If you compare it with many other countries like France, the UK, Ireland, and Canada, this test is absolutely free of charge. This is an additional amount added to her healthcare plan.  

Why IUD Contraceptive Tests?

Besides contraceptive benefits, IUDs are proven to be good for preventing or managing endometriosis. This is praiseworthy because nearly 1 million Australians face endometriosis or chronic pelvic pain. In order to overcome this, they require multiple longer appointments so that their complex medical issues can be treated. If you look into the current Medicare system, it does not favor longer appointments with gynecologists.

On the flip side, long appointments can be affordable when seeking psychiatric care or complex gastroenterological care. They are simply reimbursable, despite the fact the fact that they take similar time to psychiatric or complex gastroenterological assessments. 

The short consultations are affordable and covered by Medicare. So, it won’t appear burdensome. But, the longer appointments often break the bank for women. This is why Medicare plans for women must be reviewed again so that they can get monetary support and benefits on time. The women’s healthcare plan would be affordable and, hence, accessible.

It’s been decades since women have suffered because of negligence and biased Medicare rebates. Today, the cost of living is already burdensome and uncovered medical assessments add to the burden. It disables women, who are less likely to prioritize food and rent over their own health. They continue to suffer by ignoring early symptoms, which consistently deteriorates their medical condition. This negligence costs more than the overall healthcare plan.

In a nutshell, bringing gender equality to Medicare is essential. It can help women improve their lifestyle while effectively managing their healthcare plans. Timely and affordable plans provide valuable support for long, healthy, and productive lives.

Women’s Medical Plan Components

Like any other country, Australian women also have a choice to get their medical plans designed. And they do because it helps them address their unique healthcare needs, especially during pregnancy. This facility facilitates gender-specific health and well-being across different life stages for women. Many key components of these care plans help women recognize their distinct health requirements, which encompass reproductive health, maternity care, and menopause management.  

Here are the key components that a woman’s medical plan in Australia can easily find:

  • Reproductive Health: This component covers a range of services, especially the aforementioned contraceptive care, fertility treatments, and sexual health education. The screening or medical assessment encompasses sexually transmitted infections and cervical cancer through a regular Pap smear test or Papanicolaou test.
  • Maternity Care: Under maternity care, the beneficiary can ensure comprehensive prenatal, childbirth, and postnatal care, which is for both, mother and baby. Routine check-ups, ultrasounds, labour and delivery services, and support for breastfeeding.
  • Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening: These can be included for life-threatening diseases screening via regular mammograms, and Pap tests (for early detection). Also, it includes treatment for breast and cervical cancers so that the survival rate can be maximized.
  • Menopause Management: This is for aging women, enabling them to obtain specialized care so that menopause symptoms can be managed well. It includes hormonal therapy and osteoporosis prevention.
  • Mental Health Support: Considering the value of mental healthcare, it includes mental health services to address conditions like postpartum depression and anxiety. Also, it helps screen and recognize the psychological impacts during various life stages.

These comprehensive plans ensure women receive tailored healthcare, improving overall health outcomes and quality of life for Australian women. Consulting with professional GPs or general practitioners can prove really helpful in deciding which components are vital for you. However, the gap in Medicare plans between men and women is significant, and the latter suffer because of it. This gap can be minimized with the support of the government and timely healthcare.

Conclusion

Women’s healthcare plans are needed to prevent and support women with timely medical screening, care, and affordable treatments. However, Medicare plans are helpful in getting rebates on various screenings and treatments. But, women in Australia get fewer benefits through rebates. They have to pay additional tax on their products and services, which cover their medical screening and treatments. This practice creates bias between men and women. So, it is necessary to narrow down this gap so that they can overcome suffering and improve their lifestyles.

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