Seeing a private specialist increasingly comes with massive gap payments. On average, out-of-pocket fees to see a specialist amount to about $300 a year. But many spend hundreds on each appointment.
Costs quickly add up, especially if you need surgery or other treatments in hospital. Many patients are left struggling to pay.
Others rely on the public hospital system, where care is free but outpatient clinic wait times to see a specialist can be up to six years.
