Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has warned medical specialists against charging excessive fees, after brain surgeon Charlie Teo was criticised for the cost of his operations.
The high-profile neurosurgeon has been embroiled in a public spat with surgical colleagues after charging one of his patients $120,000 for a life-saving operation.
"It is my expectation, and the expectation of the leaders of the medical profession, that out-of-pocket costs incurred during private hospital treatment are modest, justifiable and proportionate to the circumstances of the patient," Mr Hunt told The Age on Monday.
He said he shared the concerns of medical colleges about the "small minority" of specialists overcharging and causing "material financial harm to patients" through out-of-pocket medical fees.
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High-profile surgeon, Dr Teo has come under fire for performing an operation on a 12-year-old girl whose family set a crowdfunding target of $100,000 to cover the expense.
Dr Teo has accused the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons of trying to "purge" him, in the wake of the storm of criticism.
