Health insurance is the latest service to feel the brunt of the rising cost of living after a national survey of healthcare consumers identified private health care as one of the top issues for Tasmanians.
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Hospital pressure on emergency departments and elective surgery waiting lists also rounded out the top three issues for the state.
The data was collected by the Australian Patients Association and Healthengine as part of their June healthcare index. The report found nationally 37 per cent of people with private health insurance weren't satisfied with their cover, while in Tasmania that number rose to 42 per cent.
Poor value for money, lack of affordability, and policies lacking extra coverage were all identified as contributing factors.
Emergency department wait times were the top concerns for Tasmanians with half of all respondents surveyed saying they were concerned with ED wait times.
The state's emergency departments also performed poorly on consumer satisfaction with 41 per cent of respondents dissatisfied with their ED experience - the highest percentage nationally.
Delays to elective surgeries in the state were also noted as a concern by 36 per cent of respondents, despite the latest data from the Tasmanian Health System dashboard showing the waitlist for elective surgery across all four major hospitals had declined by 158 since last month.
Mental health, workforce and access to healthcare services were also identified as issues for consumers.
A holistic view of the data collected from over 10,000 participants found Tasmania ranked the poorest out of all states and territories, with a total consumer confidence rating of 6.3 out of 10 - almost a whole point below the national average of 7.2.
Mental health was noted as a particular concern for people living in regional areas with 66 per cent of regional respondents seeking mental health support waiting more than three months for services, compared to 57 per cent in metropolitan centres.
Australian Psychological Society chief executive Dr Zena Burgess said more needed to be done to improve access and affordability of mental health care, including greater access through private health.
The APS found since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic more than 80 per cent of psychologists had seen an increase in demand for services.
"Reducing wait times is essential, but Australians also want value for money for their private health insurance to be able to access high-quality psychological care," Ms Burgess said.
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Andrew Chounding
An experienced multi-platform journalist focusing on the issues that impact health in Tasmania. With a background in social research and public policy, health reporting for Andrew is about ensuring the best health outcomes for the Northern Tasmanian community. Contact Andrew at: andrew.chounding@examiner.com.au or 0437 358 262
An experienced multi-platform journalist focusing on the issues that impact health in Tasmania. With a background in social research and public policy, health reporting for Andrew is about ensuring the best health outcomes for the Northern Tasmanian community. Contact Andrew at: andrew.chounding@examiner.com.au or 0437 358 262
