Australian private hospitals say government review shows sector isn’t profitable as it struggles to ‘keep surgery doors open’

Sector says review shows need for reform of funders and providers, however experts question potential selection bias of voluntary data

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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.

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