What does palliative care cost?
Medicare will normally cover your palliative care costs. Private health insurance may also cover some costs.
It’s important to find out as soon as you can if there will be any additional costs to pay. Who pays can depend on whether you are receiving care at home or in hospital. There may be costs for services you receive at home or outside of a hospital or hospice. There may also be limits on how long you can stay in hospital or in a hospice. This can depend on your health insurance policy and the hospital.
Your private health fund may include cover for home nursing. This may be part of your hospital cover. This means that you can receive nursing services as a private patient.
If you need an ambulance, it will cost money in some states, but not in others. Don’t be afraid to ask about the cost of these services. It is better to know in advance than receive an unexpected bill.
Some other examples of things that might cost extra are:
- hiring specialised equipment for use at home
- paying for medicines
- paying for your own nursing staff if you choose to stay at home
- paying an excess if you go to a private hospital
- accessing respite services that charge a fee
- paying the fee of a private health professional, such as a psychologist, that isn’t fully covered by Medicare
- paying for complementary therapies, such as massage therapy and acupuncture
Find out more about the costs of palliative care.
Carer payments
There are two types of payments for carers.
If you have a carer, they may be eligible for a Carer Payment. This payment is for someone who is unable to work because they are caring for you full time.
The other payment is Carer Allowance. This payment is for a person providing extra daily care to someone with a severe medical condition. This can be paid along with the carer payment.
To receive either of these payments you and your carer must be eligible. Find out more about payment for carers.