6 October 2017 - Public hospitals can access 44% more funding for patients if they bill their insurer, according to a new analysis that gives further impetus to moves by federal Health Minister Greg Hunt to restrict the practice.

As ministers argue over funding and the Commonwealth pursues health insurance reforms, private hospital operator Healthscope commissioned Ernst and Young to calculate the financial incentive for public hospitals to subsidise their operations.

The states are encouraging public hospitals to bill more than $1 billion to insurers every year, often for patients who had a right to be treated in the public system without charge, putting further pressure on insurance premiums.

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