The Australian Society of Anaesthetists understands the concern Australians feel about the cost of specialist care. Patients deserve reasonable fees, clear information before treatment and meaningful action when costs prevent access. We support scrutiny of unjustifiably high charges. However, Sydney Morning Herald’s coverage on 14 September 2026 and Private Healthcare Australia’s call for broader fee restrictions requires a fuller account of what drives patients’ bills. Singling out specialists will not resolve an affordability problem that involves governments, insurers and the wider health system.
A patient’s medical gap reflects both the doctor’s fee and the benefits paid towards it. For privately insured hospital treatment, Medicare rebates and insurer benefits therefore need scrutiny alongside fees. Comparing a charge with the Medicare schedule alone does not establish whether it is unreasonable – the adequacy of that benchmark also matters. The AMA’s latest assessment highlights decades of inadequate indexation and the lasting impact of the Medicare freeze on the gap between rebates and the cost of providing care.
Specialist practices are exposed to rising costs, just as hospitals and insurers are. In approving this year’s average private health insurance premium increase of 4.41 per cent, the Government explicitly recognised rising wages and a 5 per cent increase in medical and hospital service costs in the previous financial year. Those pressures cannot reasonably be acknowledged when premiums rise and overlooked when discussing specialist fees. They do not justify every fee increase, but they must inform an honest debate about affordability.
The ASA calls for a whole-of-system response – adequate Medicare rebates, transparent and appropriate insurer contributions, informed financial consent, and investment in specialist workforce capacity and public outpatient services. Broad fee caps introduced without addressing funding and capacity risk shifting pressure onto already stretched public hospitals. Government, insurers, hospitals and specialists must share responsibility for reform. Its success should be measured by whether Australians can obtain safe, timely and affordable care
To read the Sydney Morning Herald’s coverage, click here.
To read Private Healthcare Australia’s call, click here.