OSHCstudents - When you go into a hospital, there are different costs for your treatment. These hospital costs depend on whether you are in a public or private hospital, or have private health insurance. It is essential to know what treatments you are covered for when you go to hospital, so you do not have any unexpected out-of-pocket costs after your hospital visit. You can choose to go into hospital as either a public or private patient. Even if you have private health insurance, you can still choose to be a public patient in a public hospital.