The Australian Medical Association (AMA), an advocacy group for doctors, says private health insurance no longer provides value for money, and wants the government to overhaul the industry. The association’s annual Private Health Insurance Report Card, released today, found premium prices had doubled over the past 16 years, outstripping health inflation.“Australians are paying more for their...
Increased claim costs are putting health insurers under pressure, new data shows. The latest figures from industry regulator, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), show $5.2 million was paid for hospital treatment claims in the September 2025 quarter – an 8.0% increase compared with the same quarter last year and much higher than the growth in...
Specialist fees for private hospital care in Australia have increased dramatically – in some cases, by as much as 9 times, new data shows. Figures from Private Healthcare Australia, the peak body for the health insurance industry, found that average out-of-pocket fees charged for treating private patients have surged by staggering amounts between 2018-19 and 2023-24. Average...
The Minister of Health has warned health insurers to focus on providing value to customers when they apply to increase their premiums over the next few weeks. Private health insurers are allowed to raise premiums once a year only, subject to government approval. Insurer applications for 2026 premium increases are due in November, with approved prices...
Some ACT residents are being hit with shock bills for public hospital treatment, new figures show. Following news this week that health insurance premiums for ACT residents may rise by at least $180 next year, an analysis of billing records has revealed the high Gaps being paid for Canberra hospital treatment. Data from Private Healthcare Australia...
With public hospitals under strain, health insurers are paying out greater sums for private patient treatment, new data shows. Quarterly health insurance statistics released by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, which regulates the industry, showed a significant increase in the amount paid for Hospital Cover claims in the June 2025 quarter. Health insurers paid $4.98 billion...
New data from the Australian Tax Office shows that the number of people being charged the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS) has almost quadrupled over 6 years. Data found 768,537 Aussies paid the MLS in the 2022-23 financial year, up from 196,807 in 2017. An article in The Australian says the increase is due to rising wages. The...
Australians treated with natural therapies may soon be able to claim rebates on Extras Cover. Following a review completed last year, the government has reinstated 7 of the 16 natural therapies that were removed from private health insurance cover in 2019. The health insurance industry is now developing framework to cover: Private Healthcare Australia, the peak body for...
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If you’re looking for the best health insurance policy that meets your specific health needs and budget, the healthslips.com.au Calculator is your new BFF. Not only is it one of the only health comparison tools in Australia that compares every single policy on the market without any bias, it has some unique features that can...
Tonsillectomy is among the most common elective surgeries performed in Australia and there can be a long wait for public hospital treatment – up to 185 days (which is more than 6 months), Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data shows. You might choose to use health insurance and get treated at a private hospital,...
If you’ve visited a dentist to improve your smile recently, you might not have been smiling when you went to pay. Dental care in Australia is generally not covered by Medicare, which means it can hurt your hip pocket. Having Extras Cover is one way to eliminate dental bill shock, but often health insurance doesn’t...
If you’re using Hospital Cover to pay for surgery or a hospital procedure as a private patient, you probably assume your insurer will pick up the bill. But unfortunately health insurance doesn’t always cover 100% of the private hospital costs – sometimes there will be out-of-pocket costs, also known as Gaps. So what is a Gap?...
If you’re looking for cheaper health cover, corporate health insurance policies are definitely worth considering. Depending on the policy and what’s on offer, taking out a corporate health insurance policy could save you money and get you benefits that might not be available to the general public. Here’s everything you need to know about corporate policies...
If you have both Hospital Cover and Extras Cover with one insurer, you might assume that those 2 policies are treated as one policy. It turns out you can have Hospital and Extras cover as ‘separate’ policies – also called ‘split’ or ‘second’ or ‘standalone’ policies, depending on the terminology your insurer uses. This can...
If you’ve visited a pharmacy lately you’ll know that medicines can be expensive, even when they’re subsidised by the government. The good news is that if you’re prescribed medication that isn’t subsidised by the government, you might be able claim back some of those costs on private health insurance, depending on your cover. Here’s what...
If you have a health condition and you’re worried it might disqualify you for health insurance, we have good news. In Australia, health insurers legally can’t deny you cover for a pre-existing condition nor for a family history of illness. But they can impose a waiting period, which means you won’t be able to claim...