Publish their fees but don’t take their MBS rebates: health insurers on high-charging specialists
Dr Rachel David says private health does not want to see a two-tier system in Australia, even if that means Medicare funds 'extreme' chargers.
The political pressure on specialists and their fees is getting heavier.
The Federal Government is preparing to publish the fees charged by individual doctors based on Medicare data, pending a Senate report due next month. Meanwhile, officials are examining the radical option of withholding rebates from doctors who charge extreme fees.
Private Healthcare Australia, the lobby group for health insurers, has accused non-GP specialists of price gouging, claiming that patients have paid $23,000 for procedures or $800 for reviews.
In 2025, the group suggested the government should publish the fees charged by individual specialists. It got its wish days later.
