Minister for Health Peter Dutton tells moneysaverHQ's Moira Geddes why everyone needs private health insurance to stay well

EXCLUSIVE: One of Australia’s largest health insurers wants privately insured patients to be given priority access in hospital emergency departments over sicker, uninsured patients.

News Corp Australia has learned Medibank Private Chief Executive George Saviddes put the proposition to an Australian Medical Association dinner recently.

Several attendees recalled: “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?”.

“Well to his surprise, that was not well received.”

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The AMA objects to the plan because it would see sicker, possibly dying, uninsured patients pushed to the back of the emergency department queue.

“As doctors, we think that the most appropriate prioritisation, especially in an emergency department, is clinical prioritisation,” AMA president Professor Brian Owler said.

“Our ED doctors are not going to make a more deserving patient wait because Little Johnny’s parents have private insurance.”

Medibank Private yesterday denied it believed private insurance members should get priority in emergency departments.

Medibank is already trialling a system in Queensland where its members get priority access to their GP and receive bulk billed after hours care within three hours of requesting an appointment.

A Senate inquiry was told Medibank members who phoned their GP before 10am are guaranteed same day access to the doctor under the plan.

“Medibank does not believe that private health insurance members should get priority in emergency departments. We expect people in most need of emergency treatment, regardless of their personal circumstances, should be given priority,” a spokeswoman said..

“Medibank acknowledges the great strain that public hospital emergency departments are under and is mindful that under current regulations private health insurers are limited in what they can do to help address this,” the spokeswoman said.

“We are working with medical providers on a growing range of innovative initiatives and constantly look to explore new opportunities,” she said.

Medibank executives told the inquiry it had 26 medical clinics involved in the trial with about 145 doctors participating. It has delivered in excess of 20,000 consultations.

Health Minister Peter Dutton has allowed this trial to go ahead even though there are concerns it may breach the law which prevents health insurers covering GP services.

A spokesman for Mr Dutton said the triage of patients in emergency departments “is based on clinical need as determined by the attending health professionals”.

“Under no circumstances should triage of patients in emergency departments be according to health insurance status,” the spokesman said.

“Any suggestion to the contrary is ridiculous.”

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The Greens have introduced legislation in the Senate to try and shut the trial down claiming it will lead to a two tier health system where your insurance status matters more than your health when accessing care.

Medibank executives told the Senate Australia already had inequity of access to health care.

“Medicare is a universal benefit that assists in providing access to doctors. It is not a promise of a universal treatment,” James Connors, Manager Government and Regulatory Affairs, Medibank told the Senate.

Medibnak has over three million Australians covered by its hospital insurance policies and the federal government is about to privatise the fund to raise around $4 billion.

There is speculation the fund’s foray into GP care is part of a plan to boost the company’s share price.

Greens health spokesman Senator Richard Di Natale said patients would be “horrified” if they though private insurers were making clinical decisions rather than doctors.

“I think we’re spiralling head first towards a US system where if you can afford it you get first rate health care and if you can’t you get second rate care,” he said.