Patients across Australia can pay hundreds more than their neighbours for the same procedure, with fees varying widely from specialist to specialist.
The federal government says it will spend $7 million to upgrade its Medical Costs Finder website if re-elected, allowing patients to see the average fee charged by every eligible non-GP specialist and compare it with the national average for that service.
In Perth, for example, the average out-of-pocket cost for cataract surgery is $190 and while some paid less than $20, others paid more than $500.
Those in central Sydney who have undergone colonoscopies can pay as little as $20 or more than $680 when the average cost is about $280.
"The Albanese Labor government will help Australians find the best value when they need specialist medical advice and treatment," Health Minister Mark Butler said.
The improved website will also include private insurance data about financial arrangements with specialists to show how often patients have to pay out-of-pocket for services that aren't fully covered by their insurers.
Medical Costs Finder was established by the former Liberal government but its data has been limited as few doctors have listed their fee information on the website.
This upgrade would allow the website to analyse annual data from Medicare, hospitals and insurers to improve the website's information.
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