The website,sent live on Monday,allows patients to search for the typical out-of-pocket costs of 62 common in-hospital procedures and treatments for private patients in their area and between states and territories.
It also stratifies the specialist fees and out-of-pocket costs for these procedures into low,median and high brackets by city or region.
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What it doesn't do is tell us which specialists charge what -a much-touted feature that was billed as having the potential to expose the handful of doctors gouging patients hundreds or thousands in exorbitant fees.
This will come sometime next year,Health Minister Greg Hunt said.
The Grattan Institute's chief health economist Stephen Duckett said the website was"baby steps,but it's a start. I think they could have gone further with this version."
It could have included the average number of particular procedures performed by the relevant specialists,Dr Duckett said.