No more being shocked when the medical receptionist charges your card, and you gulp at the hefty consult fee …
The cost of going to the doctor and paying for specialists can be a nasty surprise for many as the ‘gap’ – that is the out-of-pocket expense – seems to be constantly growing.
I interviewed the boss of the Private Health Insurance Association, Rachel David. One of her big tips when your GP is recommending a specialist, is to say you want a referral to one who doesn’t charge more than your health fund will cover. She said our medical specialists are of such high quality there won’t be any major difference in the standard of care.
No more fee surprises
But doctors aren’t very transparent in their fees. So good on federal Health Minister, Mark Butler, for this week announcing the Government will compel doctors (including surgeons and anaesthetists) to disclose their fees so consumers and their GPs have more transparency about how much specialists charge before they attend appointments.
Since the former Government launched the Medical Costs Finder in 2019, which has cost more than $24 million, fewer than 100 doctors have voluntarily published their fees on the website.
While most doctors charge appropriately, an increasing number of Australians have been charged exorbitant fees by specialist doctors, including more than $950 for first appointments with psychiatrists.
Unaffordable healthcare
According to Rachel David, some anaesthetists have also allegedly waited until the day of procedures to disclose their fees, leaving patients powerless to contest how much they were being charged out of fear of procedures being cancelled.
Last week, a survey of more than 5,000 people by Patients Australia and La Trobe University revealed one in five Australians were not attending appointments with specialist doctors such as paediatricians, cardiologists and surgeons due to concerns about the cost. Data released last year by the Australian Bureau of Statistics also showed an increasing number of people were putting off seeing specialist doctors due to cost.
By doctors and specialists having to disclose their fees and out-of-pocket charges, it is hoped patients will be more informed, resulting in them having more control and choice over the medical professionals they visit, or book for a surgery – before being slapped with the bill.
Mark Butler has said the upgraded Medical Costs Finder website will include information showing the financial arrangements private health insurers have with specialist doctors, and how often patients paid out-of-pocket fees for services not fully covered under their insurance policy.
