Health Consumers' Council WA

12/04/2026

Thanks to Sabine Winton MLA for meeting with us this week 📢 pictured here with our Executive Director, Clare, and Engagement Manager, Aboriginal Engagement Lead, Disability Engagement Lead, Tania - in our 32nd birthday week no less! 🎂

We shared early results from our winter survey on how people in WA are trying to stay well. What we are seeing from early analysis is that our community is taking action to stay healthy and well, but cost, access, and unclear information still shape choices.

We also discussed preventative health initiatives involving consumers, this ‘consumer-informed-prevention’ really matters, because prevention works best when it reflects what our communities actually deal with day to day. We'll share more from the survey soon.

What is helping you or your community stay well this winter?

📸

09/04/2026

Learn how YOU can shape WA’s healthcare at our FREE online workshop 🫵 Tuesday 21 April

At Health Consumers’ Council WA, we believe healthcare should be fair, kind, and shaped by the people who use it. So, when health leaders make decisions, your opinion, voice, lived-experience matters.

That’s what a Consumer Representative does: share real experiences so healthcare works better for everyone. No qualifications needed, just your lived experience and a will to make a difference.

Join our FREE online workshop and learn how your story can spark change. Together, we can build a health system that truly listens.

Last chance to register 👉 https://f.mtr.cool/dovkrqjdmi

08/04/2026

We hear from patients and carers who didn't realise the full extent of their healthcare costs, and need support on informed financial consent and medical bills.

Our latest blog breaks down in plain English what it means, what to ask, and what to do if something doesn't seem right.

Read more on our website 👉 https://f.mtr.cool/wlivtolkxg

Have you ever got a bigger than expected medical bill or been asked to pay upfront?

07/04/2026

🎂 Today, as we mark our 32nd BIRTHDAY and World Health Day we are proud to be holding workshops with medical billing expert Dr Margaret Faux, author of the book 'How to Avoid the Medical Bill Rip Off!'

For 32 years we've stood with and supported Western Australians, and we'll keep pushing for a health system that is easier to understand, fairer to access and works for the people who use the system; you, me, all of us!

Thank you to everyone in our community and across the sector who continues to support our work to make healthcare fair.

If you are an advocate, community worker, or health professional supporting others to navigate healthcare it's your LAST CHANCE to register for our FREE workshop tomorrow Wed, 8 Apr, 9:30am - 11:30am AWST (online or in person) with the Dr Margaret Faux.

Hurry! 👉 https://events.humanitix.com/making-sense-of-medical-billing-insights-for-advocacy-professionals

06/04/2026

“Is this right?” You're handed a medical bill. Can you interpret it, explain it, and guide what happens next? 🤔

Learn from author of How to Avoid the Medical Bill Rip Off!

Registered nurse, lawyer, educator, researcher, and one of Australia’s foremost experts in medical billing systems, Dr Margaret Faux.

Costs are rising, people are feeling it, and questions about medical bills are becoming more common in community and health work.

Medical billing is not always clear, and without clear information, it is harder to support informed decisions about care.

This FREE, practical workshop is designed to build that skill.

For advocates, community workers, and professionals supporting others to navigate healthcare, you will learn how to:

🔸 assess a bill with purpose
🔸 check key details before care is delivered
🔸 ask questions that lead to clearer answers
🔸 support informed financial decisions

📆 8 April, 9:30am - 11:30am
Online or in-person
Register now 👉 https://f.mtr.cool/ycayhavuzo

03/04/2026

"Nearly 49.8% missed out on care they needed and for these consumers, cost was the main barrier. This was especially the case for dental care (67.0%), prescriptions (54.2%), and treatments (48.7%)" -Consumers Health Forum of Australia CEO Elizabeth Deveny.

New findings from CHF's National Consumer Sentiment Survey shows a clear pattern. People trust the quality of care, cost is preventing people getting the care they needed in the past year. At HCCWA, this reflects what we hear every day across WA. People are delaying care, skipping follow-ups, or going without treatment because of cost. When cost becomes a barrier, access is no longer fair.

We are calling for decision makers to:
🔸Listen to consumer experiences and understand their importance as early warning signs of system pressure
🔸Help Western Australians access and understand informed financial consent and information about the cost of their care
🔸Provide access to independent healthcare advocates to ensure no Western Australian is left to feel lost in our system

Read the full blog on the CHF report 👉 https://f.mtr.cool/yetqayjxar

Let's make healthcare fair.

02/04/2026

Ever opened a medical bill and thought “this can’t be right”? 🤯

How to Avoid the Medical Bill Rip Off! author, Dr Margaret Faux, will unpack with us how medical billing really works and how consumers and advocates can respond.

Join us FREE online or in-person for:
🔸 Book club
🔸 Complaints clinic
🔸 Advocacy insights

Register now on our website 👉 www.hconc.org.au/what-we-do/workshops

01/04/2026

Have you heard of the Health Engagement Network? 📢

On the Network, you can have your voice, opinion, and lived-experiences heard! It might be as simple as filling out a quick survey, or joining a working group to review health information to make sure it's accessible to everyone.

You may even decide to become a 'consumer representative' and speak for WA consumer on important health policy and decisions as part of a hospital committee or council.

Some opportunities offer payment or gift cards for your time.

So, if you are now, or have ever been a patient or a carer, join us on the Network!

You'll also find community, free workshops, and events.

Everyone is welcome, there is no cost to join our movement to make WA healthcare fair!

Join now 👉 https://f.mtr.cool/ngrycuxgqn

31/03/2026

Confused by medical bills? 📢 FREE session with a medical billing expert.

ONLINE or IN-PERSON
Tuesday 7 April
12:30pm to 2:30pm

We often speak with patients, carers and people caught out by unclear medical costs, who don’t realise how complex medical billing is until they get hit with a bill they don’t understand.

Medicare, gaps, upfront fees, it’s not always obvious what's what. Things like:
🔸 being charged more than expected
🔸 not knowing what Medicare covers
🔸 unclear out of pocket costs
🔸 pressure to pay upfront

Dr Margaret Faux will take us through common billing issues and what to watch for, what you can do if something doesn’t feel right, and how medical billing actually works in Australia.

Writer of How to avoid the Medical Bill Rip-off! 📙 Margaret will share her expert knowledge from the book and her years of experience.

If you've ever felt confused by a medical bill, this workshop is for you!

Register now 👉 https://f.mtr.cool/soepsnputa

24/03/2026

Got a few minutes? We’d love to hear from you. 📢 How are you planning to protect yourself and your family from winter bugs?

We all want to stay healthy and avoid the winter lurgy, but every winter it seems like more people in WA get sick. Last year more people needed hospital care than usual.

We want to know what you’ll be doing this winter to avoid getting sick, and what matters most to you when it comes to staying healthy.

Your answers will help us make sure government and health services hear directly from West Australians about what support is needed.

It takes just a few minutes to have your say 👉 https://f.mtr.cool/bwlziaypke

Thanks for being part of a community working together to stay well 💚

23/03/2026

“Real change happens when people’s experiences are heard where decisions are made.”

This is what drives Clare, our Executive Director.

Her work is about making sure community voices are not just heard, but included in shaping the health system.

Read more about Clare and the work happening behind the scenes:👉 https://f.mtr.cool/osrbdbczxv

Let's make healthcare fair.

22/03/2026

Join us for Making Sense of Medical Billing: Insights for Advocacy Professionals, a practical workshop focused on building confidence in understanding healthcare costs and billing processes.

This session is designed for advocacy and community professionals who want to better understand how the system works and how to support others to navigate it.

You will gain clearer insight into how billing works, what to look out for, and how to strengthen your advocacy in this space.

If you support consumers, this is essential knowledge that will strengthen your impact.

Wednesday 8 April 9:30am to 11:30am
In person or online
Cost: $25

Secure your spot and build your confidence in one of the most complex areas of healthcare 👉

This event is for community service and health staff working with people who may have concerns about medical billing, debts and costs.