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Graeme Samuel

Sick of doctor fee gouging? Don’t ask government to fix it

Government reluctance to intervene in the medical profession means we must consider reform based on market forces to empower consumers.

The Grattan Institute has just released a Report discussing “excessive” medical specialist fees.

The Grattan recommendations are founded on a fundamental premise that government can fix the problem through a plethora of regulations. Grattan ignores the history of reform in the broader health sector, which is marked by a reluctance of governments to tackle critical issues for fear that these measures might rankle the Australian Medical Association, the various specialist colleges, the powerful Medical Technology Association and, in the case of pharmacies, the all-too-powerful Pharmacy Guild.

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Graeme Samuel AC is a professor in the Monash Business School, Chair of Airlines for Australia and New Zealand, and a former chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

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    Original URL: https://www.afr.com/policy/health-and-education/sick-of-doctor-fee-gouging-don-t-ask-government-to-fix-it-20250703-p5mcc8