The Australian Society of Anaesthetists (ASA) has recently responded to media and stakeholder enquiries concerning anonymous correspondence about our Statement on Private Hospital Ownership, which was made available to ASA members in late May.
These responses reflect the policy positions adopted by the ASA following all usual processes and were also informed by independent research, including our recent Specialist Fees and Informed Financial Consent Survey.
The ASA’s position is clear. Where ownership interests or other financial arrangements exist, they should be transparent. ASA members are always required to disclose these interests when they are involved in the development of ASA policies or position statements. This is consistent with the ASA Committee Code of Conduct for Board, Council and committee members. The Code outlines the standard of behaviour expected of members in the performance of their duties and in their interactions with each other, ASA employees and stakeholders.
The ASA continues to advocate for regular indexation of Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) rebates for anaesthesia services and for private health insurers to review and regularly index gap arrangements, so they better reflect the real cost of providing specialist care. These reforms would help improve affordability and access for patients while supporting a sustainable specialist workforce. The ASA believes policy settings should ensure that any benefits of improved rebates or reduced out-of-pocket costs are available equitably, rather than being limited to particular facilities.
Above all, anaesthetists remain committed to delivering safe, high-quality patient care. Every week, Australian anaesthetists provide around 82,000 anaesthesia services, ensuring patients receive the care they need when they need it.
Further information about our policy positions regarding fee transparency and out of pocket costs can be found in our independent Specialist Fees & Patient Out-of-Pocket Costs Report and the recent ASA submission regarding the Health Legislation Amendment (Improving Choice and Transparency for Private Health Consumers) Bill 2026.
For more information
Read the ASA response to The Age newspaper dated 1 July 2026.
Henrietta Cook, “There are no fees at this new private hospital. Some doctors hate it”, The Age, 1 July 2026.
Henrietta Cook, “There are no fees at this new private hospital. Some doctors hate it”, The Sydney Morning Herald, 1 July 2026.
Finally, this recent industry analysis (June 2026) highlights the growing trend of Australia’s major private health insurers expanding beyond their traditional role of funding healthcare and moving into the direct provision and coordination of health services.