8 June 2017 - Queensland Health Minister Cameron Dick has defended the practice of public hospitals billing health insurers, warning the commonwealth that any intervention would threaten the state’s ability to recruit doctors.

As The Australian revealed yesterday, Queensland public hospitals have been arguing with health funds over whether short-stay units were general wards or part of the emergency department. Queensland Health argued the former, which would have allowed them to bill treatment to health funds, but the seven insurers maintained they were the latter and therefore out of scope.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has called on the states to curtail their private billing — more than $1 billion a year — out of concern it would drive up insurance premiums and the cost of the federal rebate.

Read The Australian article