Understanding the potential out-of-pocket medical costs can be confusing and worrying for people who require specialist services. Health professionals are best placed to recommend ways patients can learn more about possible additional and unexpected costs and help manage their concerns.
The Department of Health and Aged Care launched the Medical Costs Finder tool to provide information to Australians about the out-of-pocket costs they can expect from medical specialist services outside of general practice. This is especially useful to people who have a Medicare card, have private health insurance and receive or are seeking specialist medical services in a private setting.
This tool presents information about the typical out-of-pocket costs for specific in-hospital and out-of-hospital procedures in the private health system within their local area. With 180 services included in the Medical Costs Finder tool, users can make more informed decisions about their health care.
How it Works
- Search and select: Patients can search for a medical service, specialty or MBS item. They can browse procedures by a clinical category or medical specialty
- Finding the typical costs: Once a service is selected, a list of the typical fees and costs of the service will appear. Patients can also input their postcode to see localised information
- Information about the patient journey: For selected services, the Medical Costs Finder tool can show what to expect before, during and after a procedure, service or appointment
Information for Health Professionals and Specialists
The Department of Health and Aged Care has provided the following resources:
Medical Costs Finder Portal for Specialists
Specialists can access the Medical Costs Finder Portal to manage their profile, indicate their service fees and share information about using private health insurance on the Medical Costs Finder website.
To register and find out more about this Portal, please visit Medical Costs Finder Portal webpage.
Data Sources
Information on the Medical Costs Finder uses aggregated, de-identified government data about the costs of treatments in the private health system. The information is used as a guide only and should not be used as a quote or medical diagnosis.
Find out more about how the data is sourced on the Medical Costs Finder Data Sources and Disclaimer webpage.
15 June 2023