How Much Does Anaesthesia Cost?
The provision of specialist anaesthesia service will attract a fee that is separate to that charged by hospitals and other doctors involved in your care. The fees charged for anaesthetic administration by specialist anaesthetists are individually assessed and are based on the complexity of the anaesthetic procedure plus the time taken for the anaesthetic.
Anaesthetic fees are paid or reimbursed from three sources:
- Rebate from Medicare (depending on your eligibility for Medicare benefits)
- Rebate from your private health fund
- “Gap” payment (Out-of-pocket fee)
Generally, fees for specialist anaesthesia services will be eligible for a rebate from Medicare and your private health fund. For most procedures, an out-of-pocket expense or “gap” payment is required to cover the increasing medical practice costs as Medicare rebates have not kept pace with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the average weekly earnings for many years.
According to the latest Australian Medical Association (AMA) Private Health Insurance Report Card 2025 , the amount of rebate paid by different private health insurers for the same procedure can vary significantly. Prior to your procedure, check with your private health fund to find out what you are covered for and whether your treatment will result in any out-of-pocket costs.
For further information about anaesthetic fees and “gap” payment, please refer to https://asa.org.au/what-will-it-cost/ by the Australian Society of Anaesthetists.