More patients give financial consent

New figures show medical specialists are better at obtaining informed financial consent (IFC) from their patients before treatment for privately insured hospital services.

However, there is still room for improvement – all patients should be fully informed about any out-of-pocket expenses they are likely to incur.

The latest consumer survey, taken in November-December last year, measured the level of informed financial consent for privately insured patients. The survey showed a 20% improvement since the same survey in 2004. However, in too many cases, people are still having procedures in hospital as private patients without having given informed financial consent beforehand.

The survey, carried out by Ipsos Australia, was distributed to 10,000 patients who had recently made a claim from their health fund for treatment as a private patient in a private or a public hospital. There were 4,596 respondents, divided into those who didn’t have a gap to pay, those who had a gap to pay and consented in advance, and the key group, those who had a gap to pay which they were not told about in advance.

The group which had a surprise gap fell from 21% in 2004 to 16% in 2006. This is a 20% improvement in rates of IFC.

The survey also found that 58% of people didn’t have a gap from their hospital treatment – a 2% improvement from the 2004 survey. As well, 26% had a gap to pay and consented in advance – up 3% from 2004.