Scott Morrison has declared “it’s true” that people with cancer can be treated in public hospitals “for free”, arguing the out-of-pocket costs Bill Shorten wants to address are for private care.

But the Prime Minister has opened the door to reducing some of these costs, revealing he will carefully consider the detail of Labor’s policy prescription to reduce the cost of cancer treatment.

Mr Shorten’s $2.3 billion plan is designed to slash out-of-pocket costs for cancer sufferers, amid concerns women with breast cancer face average out-of-pocket costs of $10,000.

But Sydney broadcaster Alan Jones told Mr Morrison on Monday that he had been inundated by callers who said their cancer treatment had been free.

“I had Margaret on the line this morning … in tears, because her husband died from cancer. Margaret was telling me that she had the very best treatment that would be possible, both from the hospital treatment to the palliative care treatment, and that was all provided for free,” Mr Jones said.

“That all these things that Bill Shorten was emotionally promising last week in the budget reply speech, are available now in public hospitals for nothing. Is that right or wrong?”

The Prime Minister responded by saying: “That is true.”

“I made this point the day after that reply … I was announcing the disability royal commission,” Mr Morrison said.

“We’ve got amazing doctors and nurses and care providers who are working in our public hospital system around the country, and I know quite a number personally myself who have had that incredible treatment.”

However, Mr Morrison concluded by adding that there were out-of-pocket costs for some treatment in private hospitals.

“That’s not to say that there aren’t out-of-pocket expenses for those doing it privately, and I think that’s worth acknowledging,” he said.

“Where we can see the exact detail of what is being put forward, we will look carefully at that. Because we will all stand with those … who are suffering with cancer.”

Mr Jones said Mr Shorten had “promised a special Medicare licence for every MRI machine in Australia and he doesn’t know how many MRI machines there are”.

“This is the problem, I think, with the leader of the Labor Party; he has flown under the radar for quite a long period of time, but as we shape up to go to this next election, he will be asked those hard questions,” Mr Morrison said.

Last November, Australia’s leading cancer charities called for greater transparency from doctors and healthcare providers to help inform patients about the cost of cancer treatment.

The Consumer Health Forum also found that half of Australians with cancer have out-of-pocket costs in excess of $5000. The costs were highest for those with private insurance, but public patients also experienced out-of-pocket costs.