Inquiry Probes Barriers to Specialist Care
A parliamentary committee is examining waiting times, out-of-pocket fees and workforce shortages in Australia's specialist medical system.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Healthcare
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A parliamentary inquiry has been launched into the barriers Australians face in accessing specialist medical care. Suzanne Luder, who has waited two years on a public list to see a gastroenterologist, paid more than $1,000 to be treated privately.
Why it matters
Patients are left languishing on public waiting lists or forced to pay privately they can ill afford. The inquiry will consider whether changes such as lifting Medicare rebates or expanding secondary consultation funding could ease these pressures.
Suzanne Luder waited two years on a public gastroenterology list before paying more than $1,000 for private treatment. The inquiry has not yet reported on how widespread such out-of-pocket costs are across Australia.
The players
Mike Freelander
Labor MP who chairs the parliamentary inquiry into barriers to specialist medical care in Australia.
Suzanne Luder
Patient who waited two years on a public list for gastroenterology care before paying privately.
The details
The inquiry, chaired by Labor MP Mike Freelander, is examining waiting times for public specialists, out-of-pocket fees, workforce shortages, rising specialist fees and whether to lift Medicare rebates. Secondary consultation funding, which allows GPs to seek specialist advice on managing a patient, is among the options under consideration.
Timeline
Two years before publication: Suzanne Luder joins the public waiting list for a gastroenterologist.
Later this month (November 2026): Submissions to the inquiry close.
Healthcare Landscape
The inquiry sits within the ongoing debate over Medicare Benefits Schedule rebates, which determine how much of a specialist fee is covered by the public system. Its review of whether those rebates should rise places current out-of-pocket costs at the centre of national health policy.
Patients facing long public waits may need to weigh the cost of private specialist care against further delay. Secondary consultations could offer a cheaper route to specialist advice, particularly for people in rural and remote areas.
The takeaway
Patients waiting on public specialist lists can ask their GP about secondary consultations, which may provide specialist input without a private fee. Keeping track of the inquiry's submission process also offers a way to have a voice in the outcome.
What happens next
Submissions to the parliamentary inquiry close later this month, after which the committee will begin considering evidence.
Further reading
Explore more on Healthcare across Australia.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
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