The Australian Society of Anaesthetists has published a Summary Report of the 2026 ASA Specialist Fees and Patient Out-of-Pocket Costs survey.
About the survey
The 2026 ASA Specialist Fees and Patient Out-of-Pocket Costs survey examined:
- current anaesthesia fee practices
- participation in private health insurer arrangements
- approaches to informed financial consent, and
- patient-related considerations associated with out-of-pocket costs.
The research was designed to provide an overview of how these issues are experienced and managed by anaesthetists in private practice settings across Australia.
The findings are based on a national, quantitative online survey conducted in January and February 2026, developed by Survey Matters in consultation with the Australian Society of Anaesthetists.
A total of 1,121 responses were received from specialist anaesthetists – approximately 24 per cent of anaethetists working in private or mixed public-private practice – with results reported in aggregate to describe patterns and practices across different jurisdictions.
Key findings
Key findings of the survey include:
1. Anaesthesia fees are influenced by clinical and pricing factors, including procedure duration and complexity and private health insurance gap arrangements. Minimising out-of-pocket costs and patient demographics and ability to pay also feature prominently in factors influencing anaesthesia fees.
2. 84% of anaesthetists participate in “no gap” or “known gap” arrangements with private health insurers, showing how widespread these schemes are in practice, which is consistent with data published by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA).
3. Most anaesthetists provide clear fee estimates and likely out-of-pocket costs as part of informed financial consent, with the majority including core information such as estimated fees or ranges, expected out-of-pocket expenses, and potential fee variations if clinical circumstances change. 69% of our members say emergency situations are the biggest barrier to obtaining informed financial consent, reflecting the realities of urgent care.
4. Anaesthetists report charging on average $8.20 less per unit than their preferred rate, indicating a consistent national shortfall between current and desired fees.
5. 72% of anaesthetists received requests to reduce their fees in the past 12 months, highlighting growing financial pressure on patients. This is also taking place in an environment where complaints regarding out-of-pocket costs are uncommon.
6. 60% say procedure duration is the biggest factor influencing fees, followed closely by complexity (55%) and insurer arrangements (54%).
7. Patients report that greater clarity is needed around the fact that professional fees are set independently of insurance rebates, which function as subsidies and have not kept pace with the costs of delivering specialist care.
8. Most anaesthetists believe that patients would benefit from a clearer understanding that professional fees are set independently of Medicare and private health insurance rebates, which are merely subsidies that have failed to keep pace with the actual costs of providing specialist care.
Informed Financial Consent
The ASA’s Position Statement on Informed Financial Consent (ASA-PS04) outlines the importance of informed financial consent and reflects a consensus position that AMA fees represent generally accepted maximums, except where extenuating circumstances apply. Members are encouraged to review PS04, particularly in the context of anaesthesia practice.
The primary focus for every anaesthetist continues to be the delivery of high-quality patient care and outcomes.