In conjunction with 13 professional medical Colleges, Associations and Societies, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) has released a Guide ‘Informed Financial Consent: A Collaboration Between Doctors and Patients. Assisting patients to understand their healthcare and its costs.’ (IFC Guide) to help patients understand their medical costs and fees. The IFC Guide was launched in late July by the National Health Minister Greg Hunt.
The IFC Guide includes an Informed Financial Consent Form for doctors and patients to use together, information on fees and medical gaps, and questions for patients to ask their doctors regarding costs.
The AMA President Mr Tony Bartone said ‘the IFC Guide will provide people with clear, easy to understand information to help them navigate the health system’ and ‘will help patients in their conversations with doctors and practice managers about fees for their medical procedures.’[1]
The IFC Guide is a collaboration between the AMA and medical Colleges, Associations and Societies, to promote doctors and patients working together to end uncertainty surrounding costs and fees.
Informed Financial Consent: A Collaboration Between Doctors and Patients is available here.
The contributing groups and the AMA will distribute the guide through their memberships, and it will be available from doctors, medical practices, the AMA website and the website of contributing organisations below:-
- Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP);
- Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP);
- Council of Procedural Specialists (COPS);
- Medical Surgical Assistants Society of Australia (MSA);
- Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS);
- The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ);
- General Surgeons Australia (GSA);
- Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS);
- Australian Doctors Federation (ADF);
- National Association of Specialist Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (NASOG);
- National Association of Practising Psychiatrists (NAPP);
- Australian Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons (ASOS); and
- Australasian Sleep Association (ASA).
This article was written by Principal, Kellie Dell’Oro and Lawyer, Rosemary Blanden. Please contact us if you have any questions or would like more information.
[1] AMA Media release, New Informed Financial Consent Guide Launched, 23 July 2019, accessed Aug 2019 at https://ama.com.au/media/new-informed-financial-consent-guide-launched.
Disclaimer: This information is current as of August 2019. This article does not constitute legal advice and does not give rise to any solicitor/client relationship between Meridian Lawyers and the reader. Professional legal advice should be sought before acting or relying upon the content of this article.