Little evidence that specialist fees are rising simply to cover increased practice costs, says top health economist
There is little evidence that rising practice costs justify the sharp increases in specialist fees over the past 15 years, a leading health economist says.
Monash University’s Professor Anthony Scott says new research shows the cost of running specialist practices has risen less than half as fast as their fees and revenue, undermining arguments that rising overheads are driving higher patient out-of-pocket costs.
He has called for the Federal Government to consider regulating specialist fees, including imposing limits on annual fee increases, to help contain costs for patients.
In his submission to the federal parliamentary inquiry into specialist fees and patient access, Professor Scott said that the average out-of-pocket cost for a non-bulk-billed specialist consultation had risen from $46 in 2009/10 to $126 in 2024/25.
