@Vangirl - yes, generally if you are in the public system, you don't have the choice of surgeons or where your surgery will occur - and usually don't have to pay any 'gap fee' and receive excellent treatment & results!
Those of us who've paid Private Insurance FOREVER . ... are often surprised when we get charged massive Gap Fees! They keep changing the rules tho, e en with Private Insurance (as @Summerhill38 mentions above)
With my surgery, I had about a $3000 gap fee, there was $500 gap with my pathology fee, $500 because my surgeon's hospital wasn't on NIB's 'list' ...... there was a $100+ gap with my Ultrasound/mammogram/Biopsy day .... another gap with other procedures ..... about $6,000 all up so far ....
These days, when you ring to check if a specialist is available for your procedure - the first question they ask is "Do you have Private Cover?'' Then they start slogging you!
