Public and private hospital options

It’s important to understand how getting your procedure in a public or private hospital differs.

Question	Public system (Without health insurance)	Private system (With health insurance)
Will I avoid public hospital waiting lists?	No. You will be added to the waiting list of your nearest public hospital that performs heart valve replacement surgery.	Yes. By having your heart valve replacement surgery at a private hospital, you won’t need to join any public hospital waiting list. (But remember, if you’ve just recently got health insurance or upgraded your cover, you may need to serve a waiting period before you can use your cover for this procedure).
Will I be able to choose my hospital?	No. You will be assigned to your nearest public hospital that performs heart valve replacement surgery.	Yes. You can choose the private hospital where your chosen specialist can operate from.
Will I be able to choose my doctor or surgeon?	No. You will be assigned to a specialist.	Yes. Yes, you will be able to choose the doctor or surgeon who performs your surgery or provides treatment.
Will I have out-of-pocket costs?	No. While your surgery can be covered by Medicare, you may still have out-of-pockets for things like out of hospital medicine and physio.	Yes. Yes. These costs will vary depending on your choice of hospital and surgeon.

Heart valve replacement