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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Natasha May

What it means for patients if St Vincent’s and NIB fail to reach a funding deal

Signage outside St Vincent's private hospital in Melbourne
St Vincent’s says that in its 167-year history it has never given notice to a private health fund that it intends to end an agreement. Photograph: James Ross/AAP

The clock is ticking for thousands of patients after Australia’s largest not-for-profit healthcare provider, St Vincent’s, announced it would end its current agreement with health insurer NIB if a fair funding deal could not be reached before 3 October.

The chief executive of NIB, Mark Fitzgibbon, says he hopes negotiations resume, but St Vincent’s maintains the insurer needs to come to the table during the notice period and put forward a proposal that reflects the rising costs of healthcare.

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