---
title: "Major Health Conditions - Sapience Financial"
description: "Learn about the financial burden of serious health conditions and why having appropriate insurance coverage is crucial for managing unexpected costs. Measuring the out-of-pocket costs for 30 Serious Major Heath Conditions in Australia."
url: "https://sapience.com.au/start-here/why-work-with-sapience/the-cost-to-care/major-health-conditions"
date: "2026-05-31T15:24:30+00:00"
language: "en-GB"
---

#  Major Health Conditions

 ![smiling medical nurse](https://sapience.com.au/images/site-pics/major-health-conditions-in-australia-sapience-financial.jpg)## Major Health Conditions & their Out-of-Pocket costs

*Measuring the out-of-pocket costs for 30 Serious Major Heath Conditions in Australia.*

An out-of-pocket cost directly impacts the individual and is usually a significant and sudden expense. Indirect costs to the individual, such as time spent off work and time spent traveling to and from medical appointments, as well as the indirect cost to families and carers also present a significant burden to manage.

In the pages below, we have identified the out-of-pocket costs for many of the commonly faced illnesses in Australia so that our clients can achieve three things:

1. **Understand your potential losses**
2. **Understand what illness will cost you**
3. **Choose what financial risk you are comfortable absorbing**, and [what level of financial risk you need to outsource](https://sapience.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=432&Itemid=972) to a life insurance company.

### Why should you care?

If you don't know what the average consumer out-of-pocket cost is for different common illnesses, how will you if you can face the cost burden and financial risks you may face and whether you can disregard them or whether you need to have a backup plan in place, just in case?

This is why people use [Life insurance](https://sapience.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=198&Itemid=756) products, like [Crisis and Trauma Recovery](https://sapience.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=208&Itemid=766) insurance, [Income Protection](https://sapience.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=207&Itemid=765), and [Total & Permanent Disability](https://sapience.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=215&Itemid=767) insurance to help supplement (or completely fund) the out-of-pocket cost of major unexpected health events.

### Beware the payment gap

Ongoing advances in the diagnosis and treatment of disease have seen life expectancy continue to increase.

As we see more people live with – rather than die from – serious health conditions, the cost burden on our healthcare system grows.

> **With todays modern medicine, you may be able to recover from a serious health condition — only to find that you are financially ruined.**

![cost to care logo sapience financial](https://sapience.com.au/images/icon-svg/cost-to-care-logo-sapience-financial.svg)

### Who pays the cost of Serious Health Care in Australia?

1. The government **Medicare** system pays for much of the cost of healthcare in Australia.
2. The government **Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme** (PBS) subsidises much of the cost of some popular medications.
3. **Private Health Insurance** pays a portion of the remaining costs.
4. **Consumes** pay the difference in the form of co-payments to visit specialists or doctors, direct payments for *unsubsidised pharmaceuticals.*  While some may claim on private health care to reimburse some of the co-payments up to set annual limits, consumers are faced with carrying many of the costs of major health care.

Depending on the condition, **these direct costs can range from hundreds to many thousands of dollars each year** and are often compounded by indirect costs – such as foregone income – impacting the sufferers and their carers

### Why do you need to know the prevalence (or frequency) of the most common of illnesses?

Managing your finances to meet your day-to-day needs as well as your long-term goals can be a complex task. The common belief “it won’t happen to me” often results in many people having a sound plan for wealth creation but not an adequate plan to protect the very thing that generates the wealth —themselves!

How death, terminal illness, unexpected disability or serious illness affects your ability (or your family’s ability) to realise your lifestyle needs and plans, depends on the protection strategy you have in place.

In the menu below are the Costs To Care for 30 Major Health Conditions

## Schema

```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What are the 'Numbers of Life'?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "The Numbers of Life are the statistical realities regarding the probability of unexpected ill health, injury, disability, or death. Understanding these statistics is the first step in deciding which risks to manage and which to accept."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What is the 'Cost to Care' for major medical conditions?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "The Cost to Care refers to the significant out-of-pocket expenses and ongoing lifestyle adjustments required when treating major conditions like cancer, heart attack, or stroke, which often exceed what standard health insurance provides."
      }
    }
  ]
}
```

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
    "itemListElement": [
        {
            "@type": "ListItem",
            "position": 1,
            "name": "Home |",
            "item": "https://sapience.com.au"
        },
        {
            "@type": "ListItem",
            "position": 2,
            "name": "Why Work with Sapience?",
            "item": "https://sapience.com.au/start-here/why-work-with-sapience"
        },
        {
            "@type": "ListItem",
            "position": 3,
            "name": "Know the Cost to Care",
            "item": "https://sapience.com.au/start-here/why-work-with-sapience/the-cost-to-care"
        },
        {
            "@type": "ListItem",
            "position": 4,
            "name": "Major Health Conditions",
            "item": "https://sapience.com.au/start-here/why-work-with-sapience/the-cost-to-care/major-health-conditions"
        }
    ]
}
```