A senior medical specialist says patients are losing out as insurance companies use heavy-handed tactics to control what they can and can't receive from providers.
Dr Dean Corbett is an Auckland based Ophthalmologist working in the public and private systems and also serves as Chairperson of Ophthalmology NZ.
He says while most eyes are on the government's plans to reform the public health system, by replacing District Health Boards with one new authority, little attention is being paid to failings in the private healthcare system.
Dr Corbett says some insurance companies are driving down prices, while the real cost of delivery is going up, and providers who don't comply are threatened with exclusion from the accreditation system.
