The Unexpected Costs of NOT Having Private Health Insurance in Australia.
Australians spent A$44 billion out-of-pocket on health in 2023-24, which works out to roughly A$1,636 per person. That figure alone might make you think twice about skipping private health insurance. But the real sting isn’t the average — it’s the surprise bills that hit people who use the private system, where a single hospital stay with multiple specialists can run

