
Research shows that women spend more of their income on health care than men, not only due to reproductive health needs but because of systemic gaps in medical care, diagnosis, and treatment options. While Australia’s universal health insurance scheme, Medicare, ensures access to many essential services, women are disproportionately affected by out-of-pocket costs, chronic conditions, and diagnostic delays, leading to financial and emotional strain.
Why Do Women Spend More on Health Care?
Higher Rates of Chronic Conditions
Women are more likely than men to suffer from chronic illnesses and to report multiple health conditions. While men generally have shorter life expectancies, women often live longer with disease, resulting in ongoing medical expenses.
Conditions such as autoimmune diseases disproportionately affect women, and treatments are sometimes less effective for them due to the historical male bias in medical research.
This disparity is reflected in healthcare usage. In 2021–22, 88% of women visited a GP compared to 79% of men. With the decline in bulk billing practices, women are increasingly forced to cover additional costs. In 2020–21, 4.3% of women delayed seeing a GP due to costs, compared to 2.7% of men.
Reproductive Health Needs
While women’s health-care needs go far beyond reproductive health, this area contributes significantly to their healthcare expenses. Nearly half of women over 18 report chronic pelvic pain, which can result from conditions like endometriosis, period pain, or menopause-related symptoms.
Endometriosis alone affects one in seven women by age 49, often taking 6–8 years to diagnose, a delay that increases costs due to repeated doctor visits and tests. Meanwhile, 25% of women aged 45–64 report menopause symptoms severe enough to disrupt daily life.
Diagnostic inequalities further compound these challenges. For instance, Medicare rebates for pelvic ultrasounds are lower than those for scrotal scans, and no rebates exist for MRI scans for pelvic pain in women.
The Cost of Managing Chronic Conditions
Medications and Allied Health
Women require more prescription medications than men, with 62% of women receiving prescriptions in 2020–21 compared to 37% of men. Many also turn to complementary therapies and allied health services, such as physiotherapy and nutrition counselling, to manage chronic conditions.
While Medicare subsidises five allied health sessions annually under chronic disease management plans, this support is often insufficient. A study on chronic pelvic pain found women spent an average of A$480 over just two months on additional health services.
Lost Income and Career Impacts
Chronic conditions and the need for frequent medical appointments often lead to lost income and career setbacks. Women with conditions like endometriosis or severe menopause symptoms report underemployment, stalled career progression, and early retirement, further reducing their financial stability.
In Australia, 160,000 women enter menopause annually. A quarter of these women reduce their working hours or leave the workforce entirely due to symptoms, decreasing their earnings and superannuation contributions.
Addressing the Gender Health Gap
Investing in Women’s Health Research
Historically, much medical research has focused on men, resulting in delayed advancements in understanding women’s health needs. Investing in women-focused research is essential to develop more effective treatments and reduce the burden of chronic conditions.
Government Initiatives
The 2024–25 Australian federal budget allocated $160 million toward a women’s health package aimed at tackling gender bias, improving sexual and reproductive health care, and training healthcare professionals. While this investment is a step forward, sustained long-term funding is necessary to make meaningful progress.
Final Thoughts
The financial and emotional toll of healthcare on women is not just about reproductive health—it reflects systemic disparities in research, diagnosis, and care. By investing in targeted research, addressing diagnostic inequities, and expanding Medicare support, we can begin to close the gender health gap and ensure better outcomes for women across Australia.
For women, the conversation around health care costs needs to extend beyond affordability. It’s about reshaping the healthcare system to meet their unique needs and reduce the lifelong financial and emotional burden of managing chronic health conditions.
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