Do I have to pay for palliative care?
The federal, state and territory governments fund core palliative care services so that they are free in the public health system, whether you receive care at home or in a public setting. However, sometimes you may need to contribute to the costs of care.
Palliative Care NSW will be able to provide you with more specific information, but some examples of additional costs are:
- hiring specialised equipment for use at home
- paying for medicines
- paying for your own nursing staff if you choose to stay at home and require 24-hour assistance
- paying an excess if you have health insurance that covers palliative care and you go to a private hospital
- accessing respite services that charge a fee
- paying the fee of a private allied health professional, such as a psychologist, that isn’t fully covered by Medicare
- paying for complementary therapies, such as massage therapy and acupuncture.
| If you are admitted to a public hospital, palliative care unit or other facility and you have private health insurance, contact your health fund to check what is covered. Talk to your social worker about what other financial assistance is available for patients and carers from Centrelink and other organisations in your area. |
This information was last reviewed in April 2017
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