Why $49.1 million towards Endo Health simply isn't enough
Gynaecologists and women diagnosed with endometriosis aren't satisfied with the latest Federal investment
Melbourne gynaecologists and women diagnosed with endometriosis are feeling iffy about recent Federal investments in women’s healthcare benefits.
The Government pledged to invest a whopping $49.1 million towards endometriosis healthcare, adding two new items to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) in 2025.
From July 1 next year, Australians can expect extended consultation times with their gynaecologists and increased rebates in specialist gynaecological care.
This will be the first time the Federal Government has shown support for women diagnosed with this chronic and incurable disease that affects 1 in 9 Australians.
What is Endometriosis?
It’s a common disease where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows outside the uterus. This affects the reproductive organs and fertility. It’s painful and the symptoms are debilitating.
Courtesy of Healthdirect
Meet Patty
Patty Pardillo is a 47-year-old mum from Melbourne’s North-Western suburbs. She’s been living with endometriosis for the past 31 years.
“I was diagnosed at the age of sixteen, but I was suffering from the symptoms way before then, probably at around eleven” she said.
Pardillo recalls experiencing severe period pains in her tween years, but after being told by everyone around her that intense period pains are "totally normal", she simply carried on.
“My mum would tell me it was normal, and when I would feel pain at school, the nurse at the sick bay would tell me ‘it’s part of being a woman’,” she said.
“All my other friends had period pain too but they seemed okay, so I just thought maybe I have a lower pain tolerance.”
Pardillo’s story is nothing short of a miracle. Despite her 31 year-long battle, she and her husband were able to fulfill their dreams of having a family together. Patty continues her fight against endometriosis with her husband and three children Thaliya, Amaya and Xavier.
Looking back on the years, she realises the financial strains of having Endometriosis.
“Getting treated for endometriosis was a huge financial strain for my parents when I was a teenager. And then when I got married and started a young family, I reckon it was even harder”, Pardillo said.
Treating Endo is a multi-disciplinary practice, and simply getting a diagnosis can take up to seven years. This can be attributed to the lack of specialist education in the gynaecology sect of healthcare. So imagine seven years’ worth of multiple gyno consultations with each costing about $200 dollars each. And remember, this is just to get diagnosed.
To further break down the costs, here’s what the average Australian spent on treating endometriosis in 2017.
Firstly, that tiny corner on the bottom right? That's pain relief medication that could cost up to 100$ a month.
Then, the pink, dark blue and purple rectangles are hormonal medication (up to $200 a month), specialist consultation (up to $300 per visit), and Ultrasound/MRI scans that could cost up to $1000 per scan.
Then, there are laparoscopic surgeries, that could cost up to $10 thousand per surgery.
Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive surgical technique commonly used to diagnose and treat endometriosis, and is considered to be the gold standard for diagnosing endometriosis
Then, there is the fertility treatment. Endometriosis patients often require fertility treatments due to the condition's impact on reproductive health. The impacts could be caused by scar tissues caused by endometriosis, hormonal imbalances, and other complex impacts.
The biggest cost, however, is often the indirect ones.
This includes taking unpaid leave from work, which is estimated to cost endometriosis patients up to $20 thousand a year. These figures are from the Australian Government Department of Health and Endometriosis Australia.
Keep in mind, however, this was in 2017 – so minus today's burdens of soaring interest rates and increase in the cost-of-living.
Last year, the average Australian spent over four thousand dollars solely on gynaecological consultations and pain management, even after Medicare rebates and private health insurance cover.
The high costs are justified. Specialist healthcare has never been cheap. What isn’t cheap, however, is spending money on multiple visits to a gynaecologist with improper education on endometriosis.
“Getting extended consultation times is great, but only if you’re seeing a gynaecologist who’s knowledgeable in endometriosis. Otherwise, it’s just a waste of funding”, Pardillo said.
In 2020 – 21, Pardillo spent more than five thousand dollars out-of-pocket on consultations and surgeries with a gynaecologist who couldn’t help her case in the end. Only one year later did Patty’s husband convince her to make the move to another doctor who’s better-educated on treating endometriosis.
Pardillo says the money will be "best spent" being put towards educating existing specialists about endometriosis and how to tackle the vicious disease.
Meanwhile in Caulfield North, Gynaecologist Dr Rebecca Mackenzie-Proctor from Women’s Health Melbourne in Caulfield thinks the $49.1 million won’t cut it.
“[The fund] is a start. But it’s really not enough. When you also think about how the budget is put across all the other areas [of women’s healthcare] as well, it’s still only tiny”, she said.
The investment is a chunk of money seeing on its own. But when considering the questions about endometriosis still to be answered and the individual patient costs, it's not a lot of money. “It’s a drop in the ocean, but I’m glad it’s there”, Mackenzie-Proctor said.
The fund is a big move towards greater support for women’s health, but it leaves Australians eager for the next step.
