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Procedures & waiting times
What you'll wait for surgery in the public system, what the private route costs, and which policies cover each procedure.
3 published guides AIHW wait data: 2024–25 Wait times come from the AIHW's 2024–25 elective surgery release, the current data, not the 2022 figures still quoted elsewhere.
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More guides on this topic.
Public wait times against private cost, procedure by procedure
Hip replacement in Australia: cost, wait times and the cover you need
Public median wait for a total hip replacement was 130 days in 2024–25, 265 in NSW. Insured patients typically paid A$1,000. Cover rules and MBS fees, dated.
Knee replacement in Australia: cost, wait times and the cover you need
Public median wait for a total knee replacement was 255 days in 2024–25, 388 in the ACT. Insured patients typically paid A$1,000. Cover rules and MBS fees.
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