The Australian Government subsidises the cost of health services covered by the Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) for all Australians since 1984. This report presents monthly data on the usage rates of these health services as well as the MBS subsidy rate (that is, the proportion of the cost of these services funded through the MBS, as opposed to via patient contributions and other arrangements such as private health insurance).
Data in this report is updated monthly.
- Cat. no: HWE 91
Findings from this report:
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Australians have been receiving more MBS funded services per person over time
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The proportion of fees subsidised through the MBS declined over recent months - after 15 years of relatively stability
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People in more remote areas tend to use fewer MBS services but have a higher MBS subsidy rate
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MBS service use and MBS subsidy patterns vary considerably by location and by type of service