Out-of-pocket costs to see specialist doctors are skyrocketing, with some procedures costing nine times what they did five years ago - but there is a major push for change.

Private Healthcare Australia (PHA) is urging patients to shop around on specialists' fees, as well as advocating for reform.

It comes as the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority data revealed out-of-pocket fees for hospital episodes have risen by 65 per cent since 2020.

Rachel David, CEO of PHA, suggested when getting a referral for a specialist for patients to ask their GP for an "open unnamed referral", to shop around and compare prices of first appointments.

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