Specialist Fees Have Been Declared as the Next Political Target. O&Gs Need to Be in the Room.

Be in the Conversation. Register for the Insight Series in Sydney on 2 May.

The debate about specialist fees has moved from background noise to a clear federal health priority.

Reporting in the Sydney Morning Herald today makes it plain: specialist out-of-pocket costs are now firmly in the sights of the Federal Government. The issue is being framed publicly as “out of control” fees, poor transparency and rising patient costs. A federal inquiry is underway and specialists cannot afford to be passive observers.

Private O&G is not a simple fee-for-service transaction. It is high-liability, high-availability, compliance-heavy specialist care delivered in a system where Medicare rebates have not kept pace with the true cost of safe practice. Obstetricians carry 24/7 responsibility. Gynaecologists manage complex surgery, chronic disease, fertility, pain, cancer risk, menopause and reproductive health across the life course. Practice costs, indemnity, staffing, regulation, hospital access and after-hours care all sit behind the patient invoice.

If government only hears one side of the story, the policy response will be blunt.

NASOG is preparing to respond. We need our colleagues to help shape that response with real-world examples, clear evidence and practical solutions that address affordability without undermining access, safety or the viability of private specialist care.

This Saturday’s NASOG Insight Series event in Sydney is now a critical conversation.

Attend in person or join online. The program also includes clinical updates and discussion about MBS item 35641.

This is not the moment to watch from the sidelines.

Register HERE

The next Insight Series event will be held in Melbourne on Saturday 30 May 2026.

This article appeared in today's Sydney Morning Herald https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/out-of-control-specialist-fees-will-be-labor-s-next-health-priority-20260429-p5zs2b.html