{"id":195,"date":"2026-02-12T11:51:04","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T01:51:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/escope.ages.com.au\/february-2026\/?p=195"},"modified":"2026-02-12T11:58:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T01:58:09","slug":"informed-financial-consent-when-good-surgery-isnt-enough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/escope.ages.com.au\/february-2026\/informed-financial-consent-when-good-surgery-isnt-enough\/","title":{"rendered":"Informed financial consent: when good surgery isn\u2019t enough"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\n\t\t\tInformed financial consent: when good surgery isn’t enough\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t

The surgery goes well. The patient recovers as expected. Then your rooms receive a phone call.<\/p>\n

The patient has received a pathology invoice and is upset. They tell your staff they were never told about this cost and feel misled. They are not questioning your clinical care. They are questioning your transparency around expenses and fees.<\/p>\n

This is where informed financial consent (IFC) stops being an administrative task and becomes a matter of trust, professionalism and risk management.<\/p>\n

Informed financial consent is the process of providing patients with clear and timely information about the expected costs of their healthcare so they can make a, informed decision about whether to proceed with treatment. This includes your fees, applicable rebates and likely out-of-pocket expenses.<\/p>\n

One principle underpins effective IFC: your patient should never be surprised by the bill they receive. What you charge is ultimately at your discretion. IFC is not about limiting fees. It is about transparency, managing expectations and maintaining trust.<\/p>\n\t\t\t

Professional obligations<\/h3>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t

IFC is not optional. It forms part of your professional obligations under Good Medical Practice: A Code of Conduct for Doctors in Australia<\/a> and is reinforced by expectations of professional bodies.<\/p>\n

Dissatisfaction about costs, even where clinical care is appropriate, can escalate to complaints, disputes and regulatory scrutiny. When questions arise about clinical care, dissatisfaction about fees often acts as the catalyst that prompts patients to formalise a complaint.<\/p>\n\t\t\t

When and how should IFC occur?<\/h3>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t

You should raise IFC as early as possible. In practice, this often begins when the patient books their appointment, with your practice team providing initial information. You should reinforce that information at subsequent interactions and update it if circumstances change. It is also good practice to include indicative costs for initial and follow-up consultations on your website.<\/p>\n

The complexity of the procedure does not always reflect the complexity of financial consent. A clinically complex procedure fully covered by Medicare may involve a straightforward IFC discussion. In contrast, procedures involving multiple item numbers, variable rebates or several billing components require more detailed explanation. The focus is always on managing patient expectations.<\/p>\n

Wherever possible, particularly for procedures or treatments likely to result in significant out-of-pocket costs, you should provide information in writing and give patients time to consider their options.<\/p>\n

While you are not responsible for providing exact figures for third-party costs such as hospital, anaesthetic or pathology fees, you should direct patients to where they can obtain this information.<\/p>\n\t\t\t

What should be included?<\/h3>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t

Depending on the procedure, your informed financial consent discussions and documentation should cover the following:<\/p>\n