Hospital Costs in Australia

Public hospital treatment in Australia is free for all Medicare-eligible patients when treated as a public patient. This includes emergency department visits, inpatient stays, and outpatient services. However, patients treated as public patients do not get to choose their doctor and may face waiting times for elective procedures.

Private hospital costs vary significantly. A typical private hospital stay costs A$1,500–A$3,000 per day before any insurance coverage. Common procedure costs in private hospitals include hip replacement at A$20,000–A$35,000, knee replacement at A$20,000–A$30,000, and cardiac bypass surgery at A$40,000–A$70,000. Private health insurance typically covers most of the hospital accommodation and theatre fees, but patients may still face out-of-pocket costs for surgeon and anaesthetist gap payments.

Elective surgery waiting times in the public system have been a persistent concern. The median wait time for elective surgery is approximately 40 days, but this varies by procedure and state. Category 3 (non-urgent) procedures can have median waits of 80–200 days. Patients with private insurance often choose private hospitals to bypass these waiting times, accessing surgery within days or weeks rather than months.