The prolonged rise in the cost-of-living has seen many Australians unable to keep up with their healthcare costs, which has resulted in many consumers reporting they are delaying seeking care. We know that when care is delayed it often results in poorer health outcomes for people and can also see people depend more on presenting to hospitals for emergency medicine.

A country like Australia must make sure that its citizens can receive healthcare, when and where they need it.

The Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF) believes that healthcare in Australia must be accessible, affordable and safe. While these measures are all important pillars of the Australian healthcare system, so too is fairness. People’s ability to access and afford healthcare should not be dependent on their bank balance or their postcode; we are confident this is something all Australians would agree on.

The themes of accessibility, affordability, safety and equity are the core principles on which CHF’s budget submission for 2024-25 has been developed.