Voluntary assisted dying costs are creating ‘substantial barriers’ for patients, Queensland doctors say

Medicare ‘has not been updated to reflect the specific task of assessing and providing access to voluntary assisted dying’, a group of doctors says. Photograph: Lynne Cameron/PA

The out-of-pocket costs of voluntary assisted dying are creating “substantial barriers” for patients seeking to access euthanasia, according to doctors in Queensland who say Medicare reforms are urgently needed.

The government does not subsidise euthanasia and its associated costs under the Medicare benefits schedule, which means doctors privately bill patients. Psychology and counselling services used to assess a patient’s eligibility for voluntary assisted dying may attract Medicare subsidies.