Medibank has announced that its eligible customers in Sydney can now access commonly claimed endoscopy procedures like colonoscopies and gastroscopies with no gap.
The company said Dee Why Endoscopy Unit in the northern beaches and Healthwoods Endoscopy Centre in the west are offering no-gap colonoscopies and gastroscopies to its eligible customers.
Medibank said data shows the average out-of-pocket cost customers currently pay is $296 for colonoscopies and $253 for gastroscopies.
Chief medical officer Dr Linda Swan said customers who have participated in the company's existing no-gap joint replacement program have saved more than $1,500 on average in out-of-pocket costs.
“By providing customers with greater choice and control when it comes to how they access healthcare and what it will cost, we can offer Medibank’s eligible Sydney customers the option to pay no medical out-of-pocket costs for colonoscopies and gastroscopies,” said Dr Swan.
“Medibank pays benefits towards more than 78,000 colonoscopies and 29,000 gastroscopies on behalf of our customers each year; colonoscopies are the most common procedure claimed by our customers."
Dr Swan continued, “We know our customers want lower or no out-of-pocket costs, and along with our hospital and doctor partners we are pleased to support this no-gap pilot program as it becomes more widely available across Australia. We’ll soon announce more hospitals offering no-gap endoscopy procedures in Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales.
“If we want to ensure that Australians continue to have access to one of the best systems in the world, then we must ensure that Australians’ have greater control of the cost they pay for care, and greater choices of the settings in which they receive care.”