AIHW - Patients Spending on Medicare - People who experienced Cost Barriers to Specialist, GP, Imaging or Pathology (%) (PHN) 2016-2017

This dataset presents the footprint of the percentage of people who delayed or did not see a medical specialist, GP, get an imaging test or get a pathology test when needed due to cost in the last 12 months. The data spans the financial year of 2016-2017 and is aggregated to 2015 Department of Health Primary Health Network (PHN) areas, based on the 2011 Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS).
The data is sourced from the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) claims data, which are administered by the Australian Government Department of Health. The claims data are derived from administrative information on services that qualify for a Medicare benefit under the Health Insurance Act 1973 and for which a claim has been processed by the Department of Human Services. Data are reported for claims processed between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017. The data also contains the results from the ABS 2016-17 Patient Experience Survey, collected between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017. The Patient Experience Survey is conducted annually by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and collects information from a representative sample of the Australian population. The Patient Experience Survey is one of several components of the Multipurpose Household Survey, as a supplement to the monthly Labour Force Survey.
The Patients' spending on Medicare Services data accompanies the Patients' out-of-pocket spending on Medicare services 2016-17 Report.
For further information about this dataset, visit the data source:Australian Institute of Health and Welfare - Patients' out-of-pocket spending on Medicare services Data Tables.
Please note:


AURIN has spatially enabled the original data using the Department of Health - PHN Areas.


The data is based on the patient's Medicare enrolment postcode, not where they received the health care service. Most peoples' Medicare enrolment postcode will be their residential postcode.


The data excludes pathology and imaging tests conducted in a hospital, and any dental imaging tests.


If respondents sought clarification on the definition of a medical specialist, interviewers were instructed to advise that medical specialists provide services which are covered, at least in part, by Medicare (e.g. dermatologists, cardiologists, neurologists and gynaecologists).


Imaging tests or diagnostic imaging include all tests that produce images or pictures of the inside of the body in order to diagnose diseases. Tests involve the use of radiant energy, including x-rays, sound waves, radio waves, and radioactive waves and particles that are recorded by photographic films or other types of detectors.


Pathology tests refer to laboratory tests that include analysis of specimens such as urine and blood in order to diagnose disease.


The survey excludes persons aged less than 15 years, persons living in non-private dwellings and the Indigenous Community Strata (encompassing discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities).


Data for Northern Territory should be interpreted with caution as the Patient Experience Survey excluded the Indigenous Community Strata, which comprises around 25% of the estimated resident population of the Northern Territory living in private dwellings.


Rows that contain a "#" in "Interpret with Caution" indicates that the estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50%, which indicates a high level of sampling error relative to its value and must be taken into account when comparing this estimate with other values.


NP - Not available for publication. The estimate is considered to be unreliable. Values assigned to NP in the original data have been set to null.



Tags: health, population
Organization: Government of the Commonwealth of Australia - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare