RRR Affordability to attend a Medical Specialist Appointment Survey

The National Rural Women's Coalition is responding to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability's inquiry into access and affordability of medical specialists in Australia.

Rural women can experience high out of pocket expenses to attend these appointments including the travel requirements on top of lack of choice and long wait times.

Thank you for assisting the National Rural Women's Coalition in our advocacy to support rural women and their families.

2.Have you experienced difficulty accessing specialist medical appointments in the past 12 months?

Yes

3.Was the specialist appointment for you or someone you care for?

Yes - me

No - someone I care for (e.g. child, sibling, partner, parent, extended relative or neighbour)

Other (please specify)

4.If yes, please tell us about your experience and what service you accessed.

5.What made it most difficult? (Select one)

Cost of appointment with specialist

Time off work to attend appointment - loss of income

Time off work to attend appointment - negotiating the time away

Cost of accommodation/meals needed to attend appointment

Cost of travel to appointment e.g. fuel/bus/airfare/train

Cost of childcare or the challenge of negotiating childcare for the time away attending appointment

Lack of local choice of specalist

Other (please specify)

6.What else made it difficult? (Select all that apply)

Cost of appointment with specialist

Time off work to attend appointment - loss of income

Time off work to attend appointment - negotiating the time away

Cost of accommodation/meals needed to attend appointment

Cost of travel to appointment e.g. fuel/bus/airfare/train

Cost of childcare or the challenge of negotiating childcare for the time away attending appointment

Lack of local choice of specialist

Other (please specify)

7.What was the total amount you spent to attend the appointment not counting loss of income. (Specialist appointment, travel, childcare, accommodation)

Other (please specify)

8.Did you claim and travel and accommodation expenses against your state/territory rural travel rebate scheme ? (IPTAS/IPTAAS/PATS/PTSS/PTAS/VPTAS)

Yes

No - Why?

What was your experience making a claim?

9.If there was one thing you could change about your experience, what would it be?

10.If you have private health insurance, did the specialist appointment materially impact your costs?

Yes

Other (please specify)

Thank you for support this NRWC survey. Your responses will form part of our submission into the inquiry.