Spending on hospital, medical and dental insurance has risen significantly according to the recently released Australian Bureau of Statistics' 1988/89 Household Expenditure Survey.
Spending in the "medical care and health expenses" category rose by 54.l per cent from $731.64 a year in 1984 to $1127.36 a year in 1988/89.
Of that, the major expenditure was on hospital, medical and dental insurance, which rose 35 per cent from $334.36 a year in 1984 to $451.36 a year in 1989/90.
This increase occcured despite the fall in people privately insured, from around 63 per cent before the introduction of Medicare to the present level of around 40 per cent.
The only area to see a greater increase than that witnessed in "medical care and health expenses" was "current housing costs" which increased by 54.5 per cent.
Tuesday, 15 July, 2025