The Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges (CPMC) has welcomed the Grattan Institute’s contribution to the national discussion on specialist healthcare costs and access, acknowledging the need to address excessive fees while reinforcing that affordability cannot be tackled through fee reform alone.
CPMC, representing Australia’s 16 specialist medical colleges and more than 80,000 specialists, said the report highlights the importance of a broader approach to improving access to specialist care.
“Excessive and unjustified fees must be addressed, and specialist medical colleges have already taken practical steps to strengthen ethical billing and fee transparency,” said A/Prof Kerin Fielding, Chair of CPMC.
“But the challenges facing patients extend well beyond fees. Long waiting lists, inadequate public outpatient capacity, Medicare rebates and specialist workforce shortages all contribute to difficulties accessing care.”
Government data shows that only 0.7% of in-hospital services and 0.1% of out-of-hospital services attract fees exceeding five times the median. CPMC supports targeted action on these extreme outliers while ensuring reforms do not create unintended consequences for patients or the wider specialist workforce.
CPMC has developed a Professionalism Framework on Ethical Billing and Fee Transparency and, in partnership with the Australian Patient Advocacy Alliance, a consumer guide to help patients discuss costs and treatment options with their specialist.
Specialist workforce reform
CPMC welcomes the report’s recognition of the need to expand specialist training and invest in more flexible training models, including through the Specialist Training Program (STP) and Flexible Approach to Training in Expanded Settings (FATES).
“Training specialists where patients need care is fundamental to improving access, particularly in rural and regional Australia,” A/Prof Fielding said.
“Colleges are already delivering innovative regional training and supervision models through FATES. With sustained investment, these successful approaches can be expanded rather than remaining short-term pilots.”
CPMC is calling for increased STP investment to expand funded training positions in areas of need, alongside an increase in FATES funding to $17 million annually to scale proven training innovations.
However, colleges do not control the funding or distribution of specialist training positions, and therefore effective reform requires coordinated workforce planning and investment across governments, health services and specialist medical colleges.
No single solution to access and affordability
CPMC said the Grattan report reinforces the need for a multi-lever approach, including:
- Strengthening public specialist outpatient services and improving waiting-time transparency.
- Reviewing Medicare rebates to better reflect the cost of contemporary specialist care.
- Improving referral pathways to reduce delays, duplication and unnecessary costs.
- Investing in specialist training, workforce planning and distribution, particularly in rural and regional communities.
- Targeting excessive fees and improving meaningful fee transparency for patients.
“Patients need more than information about what specialist care costs. They need genuine access to that care,” A/Prof Fielding said.
“We welcome the areas of common ground with Grattan, particularly the recognition that investment in specialist training and broader health system reform must be part of the solution.”
ENDS
Medical Specialist Professionalism Framework: Ethical billing and fee transparency
The factsheet ‘Talking with your specialist doctor about costs’
For further information, please contact CPMC on 0405 497 510.
