Patients hit with hefty surprise medical bills may be in for some pain relief in coming years.
The federal government has asked the chief medical officer and a new expert committee to investigate the issue of unanticipated out-of-pocket fees.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said some patients were unaware of the scale of fees at the time of their initial referral to medical specialists.
"For some patients, these fees can cause financial hardship," he said on Tuesday.
The panel will talk to the medical profession, hospital sector, private health insurers and consumers.
They'll report back to the government by the end of the year.
The opposition said if the government really cared about the out-of-pocket medical expenses of Australians it would drop the freeze on Medicare rebates which extends to 2020 on some services.
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