Medibank chief executive George Savvides floated the idea of privately insured patients receiving priority treatment in public hospital emergency departments at a function with doctors in March.

Speaking at a dinner in Parliament House on Wednesday night, Australian Medical Association president Brian Owler said "the CEO of a large private health insurer" who was invited to speak at an AMA function "tried to tell us that they wanted patients with private insurance in a public hospital emergency department to receive priority".

"Our ED doctors are not going to make a more deserving patient wait because little Johnny's parents have private insurance": Brian Owler. Credit:Andrew Meares

"His question was if your son breaks his arm and goes to the emergency department, and you have private health insurance, why shouldn't little Johnny get priority?"

Associate Professor Owler said the AMA members in attendance strongly rejected the idea.