Govt clamps down on health insurers ahead of 2027 premium rises

Health insurers are under greater scrutiny as they apply to increase premiums in 2027.  

Premiums for Hospital Cover and Extras Cover can only be raised once a year, to government-approved levels. Information for 1 April 2027 premium rises was released late September 2026, and the government has issued a Statement of Expectations warning that insurers will need to offer “meaningful consumer choice without unnecessary complexity”. 

In particular, applications for 2027 premium increases need to: 

• explain when premium increases are due to a discount or promotion ending, rather than due to inflation  

• account for proposed changes to the Private Health Insurance Rebate. These changes, which will begin next year if passed into legislation, bring premium subsidies for over-65s into line with all age groups. 

From 2 April 2027, insurers will also need government approval to launch new policies. This change follows legislation passed last week banning ‘product phoenixing’ – closing a policy then launching a new one at a higher price.  

Applications to increase premiums close on 11 November 2026, with approved premium rises to be announced in early 2027. 

This year’s 4.41% premium rises were the highest in 9 years, however healthslips.com.au analysis found many policyholders faced significantly higher increases – an average of 8.02% for Gold policies. 

With Gold policies seeing average increases well above the headline rate, now is the time to review your policy. Use the healthslips.com.au calculator to compare every policy from every insurer and make sure you aren’t overpaying. 

Trudie McConnochie

Writer and Researcher

Knowledge is power – that’s the guiding principle behind everything Trudie writes, and it’s a philosophy she brings to her work at healthslips.com.au. By breaking down complex information into easy-to-understand blogs and stories, she aims to empower Australians to make the best choices and an informed decision around private health insurance.

Trudie understands firsthand some of the complexity of private health insurance having moved to Australia from New Zealand and having to navigate a vastly different public healthcare system and health insurance structure.

Trudie holds a Bachelor of Communication Studies (journalism major) from the Auckland University of Technology.

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