Australians are increasingly looking to their employers for help with healthcare costs as household budgets come under pressure.
A new survey by the Members Health Fund Alliance found that more than half of Australians (56%) want their employer to provide private health insurance, making it the most valued workplace benefit today.
The finding puts health cover ahead of popular perks such as remote work, higher pay and childcare support.
"Our research shows growing public support for employers to step in and help, with many Australians backing workplace health cover as a practical solution to rising medical expenses," Laura Hicks, spokeswoman of the Members Health Fund Alliance, told news.com.au.
Care takes a back seat
The survey points to a worrying trend: many Australians are delaying healthcare because they cannot afford it.
Among those aged 18 to 34, seven in 10 said they had postponed routine health appointments for up to two years due to cost pressures.
"The reality is that everyday living expenses are forcing many people to neglect their healthcare needs by putting off important healthcare checkups. And that's not in the national interest," Hicks said.
The research also found that 75% of employees would be more likely to seek medical care if private health insurance covered some or all of the costs.
"This particularly rings true with younger Australians, who told us they were more likely to prioritise their health if they had insurance that covered all or at least a proportion of the cost," Hicks said.
Growing expectations
Demand for employer-funded healthcare was strongest in the Northern Territory, where 75% of workers supported the benefit. Support was also high in New South Wales (59%), Victoria (57%) and Queensland (54%).
The growing expectation comes at a time when healthcare costs are climbing. Aon's 2026 Global Medical Trend Rates Report predicts Australia's medical trend rate will rise to 5.2% next year.
For employers, the challenge will be balancing rising benefit costs with growing employee expectations as healthcare affordability becomes a workplace issue as much as a personal one.