Private hospitals say an Australia government review of the sector’s financial viability show there is a need for structural reform of the relationship between funders and providers, but experts question whether the voluntary data provided to the review proves there is a “crisis”.
The federal health department announced the review in June following contract disputes between private hospital companies and health insurers that risked leaving patients paying higher out-of-pocket expenses. It also came as hospitals raised ongoing concerns about rising costs of providing care.
