Published
ISBN
Report to the Australian Senate on anti-competitive and other practices by health funds and providers in relation to private health insurance, 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011
This is the thirteenth report prepared by the ACCC in compliance with an order agreed to by the Australian Senate on 25 March 1999 and amended on 18 September 2002.
The order requires the ACCC to provide a report of: '… any anti-competitive practices by health insurers or providers, which reduce the extent of health cover for consumers and increase their out-of-pocket medical and other expenses.'
A listing of submissions to the report is also available.
Clarification of the Australian Medical Association’s position on the publication of medical benefits schedules
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) wrote to the ACCC on 18 June 2012 seeking to clarify their position on the benefits of publishing medical benefits schedules. On page 22 of the report, the ACCC stated that according to the AMA publishing medical benefits schedules would ‘reduce the onus on doctors to communicate costs of hospitalisation to patients as it also depends on the hospital and the insurer.’ However, the AMA’s submission to the report states that publication of benefits schedules ‘would better position consumers to have an informed discussion with their treating medical practitioner’.