‘Booking’ fees for private hospital patients

Steve Robson

doi:10.1071/AH25152

EDITORIAL

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‘Booking’ fees for private hospital patients

Steve Robson ^A ^*

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.

^* Correspondence to: stephen.robson@anu.edu.au

Australian Health Review 49, AH25152 https://doi.org/10.1071/AH25152

Submitted: 4 July 2025 Accepted: 9 July 2025 Published: 1 August 2025

Abstract

The vast majority of inpatient procedures in private settings in Australia are performed either with no- or known-gaps. There is a suggestion that some doctors are using ‘booking’ fees in addition – if true, the reasons are very obvious and make good economic sense.

Keywords: booking fees, economics, fees, gap fees, inflation, inpatient, medicine, outcomes, private health insurance, surgery.

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