Labor to spend $7 million upgrading Medical Costs Finder website if re-elected

The Albanese Government has promised that if re-elected it will spend $7 million upgrading a national health website that was supposed to enable Australians to shop around for affordable healthcare.

Medical Costs Finder was launched in 2019 under the Coalition with the aim of being a national database that compared the cost of medical procedures across the country.

The site was to use Medicare data to display the average cost of common specialist consultations and services, alongside the fees doctors charged.

But, according to Labor, only 70 doctors out of the estimated 11,000 specialists in Australia have voluntarily displayed their fees, despite more than $24 million already being spent on the site.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said fees can vary across specialists for the same procedure.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data show that, in Perth, the average out of pocket cost for cataract surgery was $190 — yet some patients paid less than $20, while others paid over $500.

In central Sydney, the average out of pocket cost for a colonoscopy was $280, yet some patients paid less than $20, while others paid over $680, he added.

Under the proposal, Labor says the Medical Costs Finder website will display the average fee charged by every eligible specialist across all non-GP specialities — without asking doctors to spend time on data entry.

The $7 million will be spent on upgrading the technical capability to analyse annual Medicare, hospital and insurer data for every common medical service and display the average fee that each doctor charged, alongside the national average for that service.

Alongside Medicare data, the upgraded website will also include data from private health insurers showing their financial arrangements with specialists and how often patients pay out-of-pocket for services that aren’t fully covered by their insurance policy.

Insurers will also be required to provide this information on the Medical Costs Finder.

At present only three insurers have displayed their gap fees on the site, Labor says.

“The former Government did nothing to make the Medical Costs Finder a useful tool for consumers,” Mr Butler said.

“It’s a service that has been left gathering dust and doesn’t help patients determine specialist out-of-pocket costs.

“The Albanese Labor Government will help Australians find the best value when they need specialist medical advice and treatment, by upgrading the Medical Costs Finder to give more transparency on fees.

“We are committed to working with consumers, the colleges and private health providers on the design and implementation of this important cost transparency measure.”