Consumers will soon have a clearer picture of how specialists’ fees compare if legislation before parliament is passed.

New legislation would allow the government to publish details on the revamped Medical Costs Finder website about what individual specialists charge.

It’s a step forward for transparency, and will go part-way to relieving bill shock.

But our new research, which has been peer reviewed and accepted for publication in the Australian Economic Review, suggests how transparency alone won’t be enough to rein in specialists’ fees.

We also show how far specialists’ fees have risen since Medicare began.

What is the Medical Costs Finder website?

The Medical Costs Finder website cost A$24 million to build. It relies on specialists voluntarily uploading their fees. But by the end of 2025, only about 88 individual doctors had done so.

If the bill passes, new legislation would allow the government to upload billing data that’s routinely collected for Medicare claims. This would allow patients to compare out-of-pocket costs before they even book an appointment.

With more fee information, patients would have informed discussions with their GPs about where they are referred.

However, transparency may have unintended consequences.

Some doctors might charge more once they see their neighbours charging higher rates.

There is also the........

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