'Impossible' to shop around: patients struggling to get information about costs from surgeons

Sydney Morning Herald

11 December 2017 - Consumers are often told to "shop around" to save money, but for privately insured patients, calculating and comparing the out-of-pocket costs for surgeries can be "perplexing and sometimes impossible".

Ahead of a Senate committee delivering a report this week on the value of private health insurance, consumer group Choice is calling on surgeons and health funds to increase transparency and publish the average prices for common surgeries.

It conducted a mystery shop of 60 surgeons' offices around Australia and found more than a third - 22 - refused to provide information about fees, not even a ballpark figure.

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Michael Wonder

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Michael Wonder