MEDICAL specialists and surgeons should be forced to publish their fees upfront to prevent patient “bill shock’’, health funds have told the federal government.
With Australians paying among the highest out-of-pocket health costs in the industrialised world, the Bupa insurance fund wants patients to be able to shop around for the cheapest specialists by comparing fees.
“Bupa believes that it is entirely reasonable for the government to require that specialists’ charges are completely transparent, particularly given the significant amount of taxpayer funding that is provided through Medicare contributions for out-of-hospital care,’’ Bupa says in its submission to the Senate inquiry into healthcare costs.
“Greater transparency in this area would enable customers to easily compare what their doctor is charging in relation to other specialists, improving
competition in the supply chain and potentially helping to drive down medical fee inflation rates.’’
Australia’s largest health fund, Medibank Private, has told the inquiry patients should not have to pay for a specialist consultation to find out how much an operation will cost. This discouraged them from seeking a second opinion or alternative treatments, as they would have to pay for another consultation.
The fund wants the government to “mandate, develop and publish’’ price and quality lists for hospitals and doctors.
Official data shows the average Australian pays $1075 a year — $4300 for a couple with two children — in out-of-pocket costs or “gap fees’’ not covered by Medicare or health funds. Patients paid directly for almost a fifth of all health costs in 2010.
Source: The Australian