Data reveals significant drop in proportion of specialist appointments funded by Medicare

Patient advocates say more needs to be done to reduce out-of-pocket costs and improve the health literacy of Australians

• Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

The level of Medicare coverage for specialist medical appointments has fallen steadily and significantly over the past two decades and is well below that of GP visits, data shows, prompting calls for reform from patient advocates.

Medicare data published on Thursday by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reveals that the proportion of subsidised fees varies widely depending on the type of appointment.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup