Only 20 doctors are disclosing their fees on the federal government’s $24m medical costs comparison website, despite the health department encouraging patients to shop around for affordable specialist care.was a $2.5m initiative launched in 2019 by the former Coalition government to help patients find and understand typical costs for private procedures.
Pocock, citing Private Healthcare Australia data, said the typical cost of a hip replacement in the ACT was $4,093, compared with $2,547 in New South Wales and $400 in South Australia. When Pocock asked how many doctors fees were registered on the Medicare cost finder website, he replied with incredulity when Brian Kelleher, an assistant secretary in the health department, confirmed the national figure was 20..
Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it mattersKelleher said 640,000 people have visited the website, which provides information on 1,300 medical items and 150 services.