The challenge
While much publicity has been given to the undesirable outcomes of high and variable specialist fees in Australia, little is known about the sources of this variation and how they are determined. In the absence of quality information, transparency may lead to higher prices or misinformed patient choices.
The research
This research draws on proprietary data provided by Medibank, supplemented with interviews with specialists about how they set their fees, to gain an in-depth understanding of specialist fee variations. The initial phase of this work examined specialists’ willingness to participate in price transparency initiatives and the effect of these initiatives on patient costs. Later phases explored how collaboration between providers, such as surgeon-anaesthetist teams working together, affects pricing and health outcomes.
The impact
This research provides valuable evidence on how price transparency initiatives affect fees and the importance of including quality information in such initiatives to avoid unintended consequences. Collectively, these findings inform the design of more effective health policy in Australia aimed at improving affordability, supporting informed patient choice, and encouraging fairer pricing practices without compromising care quality.
Our researchers
Melbourne Institute - Susan Méndez, Jongsay Yong
Melbourne School of Population and Global Health - Adam Elshaug, Khic Prang
Monash University - Anthony Scott