Brain surgeon Charlie Teo defends $120k bill

Charlie Teo has pointed to the private system after being challenged by a specialist.

Brain surgeon Charlie Teo is in big demand for operating where other surgeons won’t.

Controversial brain surgeon Charlie Teo has pointed to the private health system as he defended his costs, after a prominent Sydney cancer specialist questioned the “really disturbing” trend of people fundraising tens of thousands of dollars to pay to attempt to save a life.

Professor Henry Woo from the University of Sydney and Chris O’Brien Lifehouse has taken to Twitter to highlight the number of GoFundMe campaigns — 113 on his count — in which people are seeking donations to help cover Dr Teo’s bills.

Professor Woo commented on the amount being sought in one campaign for surgery by Dr Teo and associated pre-operative and post-operative care. “I find this really disturbing,” Professor Woo tweeted, referring to one case where $120,000 had been raised for treatment, including $60,000 to $80,000 for Dr Teo. “Something is seriously wrong if a terminally ill girl with a brain tumour has to raise $120k to have surgery.”

Prominent Sydney cancer specialist Professor Henry Woo.

But Dr Teo said while Professor Woo had raised an “important issue”, the figures he was quoting were incorrect, adding the disparity between public and private costs and the price of medicine “needs to be discussed”.

“What you have to remember that of that $120,000 (charged for surgery) most people think it all goes to me, and that’s not the case at all,” Dr Teo told the ABC.

“$80,000 goes to a private hospital, and of the $40,000 that remains, that is shared among the surgical assistant, the anaesthetist, the radiologist, radiographer, the intensivist and the list goes on and on and on.

“For example, in the last bill of $120,000, I got $8,000.

“It’s not even a significant amount to me.

“And remember the surgeries differ wildly in complexity and the time taken, some are an hour and a half and some are 16 hours.”

Professor Woo pointed to the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons’ position paper on excessive fees and said, “if it was valid surgery, it could/should be performed in the public system under Medicare”.

Dr Teo AM built his reputation taking on cases that other surgeons deemed inoperable. No stranger to controversy, he featur­es on the SBS series Medicine or Myth?, investigating ­alternative treatments.

In an interview this month, Dr Teo criticised the medical board for seeking to clarify the responsibilities of doctors offering patients ­unconventional or unproven treatments. “I thought the medical community was a little bit conservative but really not malic­ious and not overtly contrary, but I guess my eyes have been opened more ­recently,” Dr Teo said.

Something is seriously wrong if a terminally ill girl with a brain tumour has to raise $120K to have surgery Dr Charlie Teo has offered to do for $60-80K.
If it was valid surgery, it could/should be performed in the public system under Medicare #auspol https://t.co/8s7L5mcuAZ

— Henry Woo (@DrHWoo) May 24, 2019

Some of the GoFundMe campaigns purport to have raised more than $150,000 for treatment, often because the patient does not have private health insurance or cannot find another surgeon willing to operate­. Others raise money for the Charlie Teo Foundation for brain cancer research. It is not suggested Dr Teo or the foundation initiated any of the campaigns.

Professor Woo, a urological surgeon, was unavailable yesterday. His social media posts have reignited the debate over out-of-pocket costs and the lack of transparency over surgical results that might better inform patient decisions.

On a search on GoFundMe for “Charlie Teo” there are 113 campaigns listed, that mention him as the surgeon for which donations are sought to pay for his services.
I find this really disturbing. pic.twitter.com/j4ZQRNHXvQ

— Henry Woo (@DrHWoo) May 24, 2019

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has promised a new government website to provide patients with more information on out-of-pocket costs, including those charged by cancer specialists.

A review headed by Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, Brendan Murphy, found that while a minority of specialists charged excessive fees, it was an issue of broader concern. There was a need also to counter the misconception that high cost meant high-quality care.

The Australian understands the website will initially provide the range of costs for common specialist treatments in geographic areas and go live early next year.

It will rely on de-identified, government-held data, but the longer-term aim is for specialists to contribute to a searchable website.

The cost of cancer treatment became a key issue in the election when Labor promised more funding for tests, scans and follow-up consultations.

Scott Morrison pointed to record Medicare bulk-billing rates and said “if you’re in a public hospital at the moment, all of your cancer treatment is free”.