The Australian Society of Ophthalmologists (ASO) says it welcomes the government’s move to publish specialist fees on the Medical Costs Finder, “provided the information is accurate, transparent and accessible to patients”.
The Health Legislation Amendment (Improving Choice and Transparency for Private Health Consumers) Bill 2026 will make specialist fees publicly available on the Medical Costs Finder, helping people compare costs and make informed healthcare decisions.
The bill will also outlaw insurer “product phoenixing” and require ministerial approval for new product premiums and changes that reduce existing cover.
In a media release, the ASO said it had long supported informed financial consent and was a co-signatory to the Australian Medical Association’s (AMA) National Informed Financial Consent Guide.
Any initiative that helped patients better understand the costs of their care was a step in the right direction, the ASO said.
ASO president Dr Peter Sumich said the organisation backed measures that genuinely empowered patients to make informed decisions about their healthcare.
“Anything that helps patients understand what they’re paying for and why is something we support,” Dr Sumich said.
“If this tool genuinely helps patients anticipate their out-of-pocket costs, then we’re all for it. But the data must be presented accurately, with proper context, so patients understand why specialists charge what they do.”
Dr Sumich also called on the Government to apply the same transparency measures to private health insurers.
The ASO said it “strongly” welcomed the Bill’s provisions to outlaw the practice of product phoenixing by private health insurers – where insurers close an existing policy and re-open a near-identical product at a significantly higher price, circumventing the regulated Premium Round process.
The ASO has long advocated for an end to this practice, which drives up premiums, erodes consumer trust, and undermines the value of private health cover for Australian patients.
“We have been calling for phoenixing to be stamped out for a long time, and we’re pleased the Government has listened. This is exactly the kind of insurer accountability that patients need,” Dr Sumich said.
“If we’re talking about transparency, it can’t be one-sided. Patients deserve to know exactly what their private health insurer is doing with their premium dollars. How much is being returned to hospitals and practitioners who actually deliver care? Insurers need to be held to the same standard of transparency being asked of doctors.”
