An ACT health advocacy group has called for privately insured patients to be billed at public hospitals, as new data showed Canberra has the highest take up of private health insurance but the second-lowest usage.
Healthcare Consumers’ Association executive director Darlene Cox said patients with private health insurance should be encouraged, where possible, to pay for their treatment in public hospitals.
She said the rule could apply where a similar service is not available in an ACT private hospital.
The call came as new statistics showed the ACT continues to have the highest number of residents with private health insurance, per capita, but the second lowest usage of it.