The Bill aims to strengthen transparency and improve patients’ understanding of their healthcare and private health insurance arrangements. The ASA supports these objectives and looks forward to continuing to work constructively with the Department to ensure that that all information published on the Medical Costs Finder website is both meaningful and relevant to patients and anaesthetists alike.
Dr Vida Viliunas, President of the ASA, said the reforms represent an important opportunity to improve clarity in a system that many patients find confusing.
“Private health insurance premiums are a significant contributor to cost-of-living pressures for Australian families,” Dr Viliunas said. “Patients deserve clear, accurate information about what their insurance covers and how they can receive value from the premiums they pay.”
One of the key features of the Bill is its focus on increasing transparency around private health insurance products. The ASA believes this will help address longstanding confusion about coverage, out-of-pocket costs, and insurer arrangements.
The ASA recently commissioned an independent survey of more than 1,100 anaesthetists across Australia. The survey examined out-of-pocket costs, informed financial consent, private health insurance arrangements, patient access and equity.
The findings show that an overwhelming majority of anaesthetists use known-gap or no-gap arrangements wherever possible. However, the failure to index rebates and the cap on gap limits are making participation in these schemes increasingly difficult.
“When rebates are not indexed and gap limits are capped below the real cost of providing care, it becomes harder for doctors to sustainably participate in no-gap and known-gap schemes,” Dr Viliunas said. “These arrangements must adequately reflect the true costs of delivering safe, high-quality anaesthesia.”
The survey also confirmed that informed financial consent is already a routine part of anaesthetic practice, particularly for planned admissions such as elective surgery. A large majority of anaesthetists provide patients with clear information about likely fees and potential out-of-pocket costs, noting that these may vary depending on clinical complexity or procedure duration.
“Anaesthetists are committed to ensuring patients understand the likely financial implications of their care,” Dr Viliunas said. “We are hopeful that the changes proposed in the Bill will reflect the realities of clinical care and avoid reducing high-quality medical services to simplistic price-comparison tools.”
Importantly, the survey highlighted that many patients do not fully understand what their private health insurance policy covers - an issue that sits outside the control of anaesthetists, whose primary focus remains patient safety and clinical care.
The ASA supports greater transparency from private health insurers regarding what policies include, how agreements with providers operate, and how arrangements affect patients and hospitals.
“Improving transparency must involve insurers clearly explaining what is and is not covered,” Dr Viliunas said. “Patients should not be left navigating complexity alone.”
The Australian Society of Anaesthetists remains committed to working collaboratively with government and stakeholders to ensure reforms improve understanding, strengthen patient trust, and support the continued delivery of safe, high-quality anaesthetic care.
Contact details:
For further information: Leon Beswick 0414 332 267