Survey shows millions of Australians are putting off visits to the doctor or dentist because of the cost Millions of Australians put off seeing the doctor or dentist last year because of cost, new figures show. Survey data released on Thursday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows of those Australians aged 15 and over who needed to see a dentist, almost one in five had not made the visit or delayed it due to cost. More than a quarter of those aged 25 to 34 delayed or avoided a necessary visit to the dentist. Almost 8 per cent of people who needed to see a medical specialist in the previous 12 months and more than one in 20 Australians who needed to see a GP avoided or delayed doing so because of the cost. While 82 per cent of GP services are now bulk-billed across the country, Medicare data shows the average out-of-pocket cost for those who do not get bulk-billed has increased from $30 in 2007 to $46.50 last year. Of those who did visit their doctor, one in five felt they had to wait an unacceptably long time for an appointment. In outer regional and remote areas, 17 per cent of people had visited a hospital emergency department in the past year, compared with 12 per cent of people in major cities. Of all those who visited the emergency department, almost a quarter thought that the care they needed could have been provided by a GP. More than a quarter said they came to the emergency department because of the time of day or day of the week they needed care, while a further 2.5 per cent said they went to hospital because waiting times for a GP were too long. Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association chief executive Alison Verhoeven said the figures show the difficulties some Australians face in accessing healthcare, such as those outside the major cities and in areas of socioeconomic disadvantage. "As the Commission of Audit considers Commonwealth spending in areas such as health, it will be important to ensure that recommendations are well-targeted and do not further disadvantage those who cannot afford to take care of their health," Ms Verhoeven said.