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Health fund Bupa has developed a new tool that will help consumers reduce bills shock and ease confusion about the cost of hospital medical procedures in Australia.
Bupa’s new online calculator enables consumer to calculate the average cost of hospital medical procedures, such as childbirth and hip replacement, as well as the likely out-of-pocket medical fees.
“We know that it’s common to undergo a medical procedure in hospital without knowing how much it will cost,” said Cindy Shay, director of Bupa’s health partnerships and innovation. “This costs calculator will enable customers to have a far greater understanding about what their medical procedure will cost, and if they will be out-of-pocket. This calculator shifts the balance of power back towards customers in their discussions with doctors and hospitals.”
The costs calculator complements Bupa’s list of specialist doctor-search tool, which “shows not only which doctors are a part of Bupa’s Medical Gap Scheme, but also the percentage of cases in which they have charged a gap fee to our customers,” Shay said.
The new calculator tool covers doctors’ fees for hospital and day-surgery medical procedures, and not medical appointments in the lead up to the surgery.
