Specialists can charge patients what they want, and some doctors charge exorbitant amounts. A handful of services account for almost 90% of all medical gaps.
For some people, high out-of-pocket costs makes it difficult to see a doctor or fill a prescription.
From shutterstock.com
Seeking and making sense of specialist fees is an unfair burden to place on vulnerable patients. A website might be helpful for some – but health professionals need to be held to higher account.
Specialists making their fees publicly available is one way to rein in rogue practices.
from shutterstock.com
Australia is the only country in the OECD that allows specialists complete freedom to set their own fees. This puts patients at risk – but the government can help protect them.
Medicare exists to ensure all Australians have fair access to health care.
from www.shutterstock.com
Poorer children in Australia are less likely to receive their share of Medicare funding, particularly in the first years of life.
Some specialists charge a premium because they claim to be exceptional in their field. But how are patients to know if that’s true?
from www.shutterstock.com
High specialist fees in this country, and what they mean for Australians' access to health care, have been of concern for some time.
Patients often rely on their GP to make the choice of specialist for them through the referral process with little or no discussion of prices.
gtfour/Shutterstock
Why is it so difficult to find out exactly how much it's going to cost to have that suspicious mole removed or to be admitted to hospital for that colonoscopy or hip replacement?