KEEPING YOU INFORMED ABOUT YOUR PUBLIC HOSPITALS
What will I have to pay for my treatment?
If you are admitted to hospital as a public patient:
There is no cost to the patient. People treated in NSW public hospitals as public patients are not charged for their accommodation, surgery, medication and other in-hospital services.
If you are admitted to hospital as a private patient:
If you have private health insurance and are admitted to hospital as a private patient, there will be charges for your accommodation and services provided by the hospital.
These costs are usually covered by your private health insurance company, unless you've taken out a 'front end deductible' policy. This means you pay a lower premium to the insurance company and in return, agree to make a personal contribution towards the hospital charges.
Privately insured patients are charged for medical and diagnostic services provided by their doctor (like X-Rays and pathology tests).
Surgery fees?
If your doctor is a specialist who works full-time at the hospital, there is usually no out-of-pocket charge for your surgery. The doctor's fee is covered by a combination of Medicare and private health fund rebates.
However, if your doctor is a Visiting Medical Officer - often referred to as a VMO - this means your doctor operates a private practice and sets their own fee. The doctor's fee for services may be higher than the total you get back from Medicare and your private health insurer. That extra amount - the 'gap' fee - is an out-of-pocket expense that will have to be paid by you to your doctor. It is a good idea to discuss potential 'gap' costs with your doctor before you are admitted to hospital.
What does it cost to provide health services in our public hospitals?
The NSW public health system is world-class. It is the biggest public health system in Australia with more than 220 public hospitals and 100,000 dedicated staff who make up the health workface.
This year, the NSW health budget reached a new record of $16.4 billion and every day we spend $36 million delivering quality health care to the people of New South Wales.
The average cost of typical interventions and treatments
Our population is growing and it is also ageing. Technology, medical specialisation, new treatments and a wealth of medical research continually informing health care mean we are living longer but we are also costing more to treat.
The complexity and cost of the health system was highlighted during the course of the Special Commission of Inquiry into the NSW Health system.
The first recommendation (Rec 1) of the report was that:
NSW Health should consider whether in the interests of the public education and information it would be feasible to provide to patients upon discharge from public hospitals either an itemised list of the cost of their care based on the relevant case-mix formula or else to make publicly available the average cost of the typical interventions and treatments.
The New South Wales Government supported this recommendation and based on the views expressed by communities and clinicians during the consultation phase, it was agreed that the second route recommended by the Commissioner was preferred.
It is important to know that if you elect to be a public patient when admitted to a public hospital, you will not receive a bill for your stay.
The information provided on this website is aimed at filling a gap in the information available to people who are admitted to hospital. It might also promote discussion about the costs of care and where the money goes in the health system.
Your tax dollars contribute to meeting the costs of health care - it is your health system.
We hope you find this information useful and informative.
On a typical day in New South Wales:
- 4 900 people are admitted to one of our public hospitals.
- One thousand people will have their surgery performed in NSW public hospitals.
- And 17 000 people will spend the day in a public hospital.
- Over 100 000 dedicated staff care for over a million patients every year.
- 20 patients will have their hip replaced at a cost of $17,568 per replacement;
- 73 patients will have their cataracts removed at a cost of $3043 per cataract;
- 19 patients have their appendix removed at a cost of $5900 per patient
- 200 babies will be born (uncomplicated) at a cost of $3200
PATIENT JOURNEY SCENARIOS
- Han's Story
Hans, 51, has a history of complex chronic illness, including cardiac disease.
- Anne's Story
Anne is a mother of two teenagers and has arthritis.
- Joanne's Story
Joanne is a newlywed.
- Wilson's Story
Wilson is 67 and has Chronic Obstructive Airway Disease (COAD).