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 want Hospital Cover that provides the bare essentials, Basic Hospital Cover could be your best bet. You’ll need to do your homework, though, as some Basic health insurance policies don’t provide much in the way of value – and they aren’t necessarily cheap, either. Using the healthslips.com.au Calculator, we found a $2,772.72 difference...
If you want more health cover than a Basic policy, a Bronze Hospital Cover policy could be a good choice, providing cover on 21 of the 38 hospital clinical categories which can be claimed on private health insurance. But that doesn’t mean all Bronze health insurance policies give you the same level of value –...
If you’re looking for the best Silver health insurance in Australia, price will naturally be one of the big factors in your decision. But you also need to consider what you get for that policy – paying more for a policy doesn’t automatically mean better cover. Unlike most health-insurance comparison websites, here at healthslips.com.au we’re across...
When it comes to Gold tier Hospital Cover, not all policies are created equal. While Gold tier policies provide the maximum Hospital Cover – which means they cover ALL 38 clinical categories health insurers are allowed to cover – that doesn’t mean they provide the amount of value, per se. And they certainly aren’t priced...
The whole point of taking out health insurance is to reduce your health costs, so it can come as a bit of a shock to get a bill for medical treatments that are covered by your policy. Even though private health insurance covers you for certain health treatments, sometimes doctors and hospitals will charge more...
If you’re looking for Hospital Cover that goes a little further than a Basic policy but your budget doesn’t stretch to Bronze, a Basic Plus health insurance policy could be the right fit for you. What’s the difference between Basic and Basic Plus Hospital Cover? Basic is the most affordable level of Hospital Cover, and by law...
If you’re looking for Hospital Cover at the lower end of the scale that’s good value for money, Bronze Plus Hospital Cover is worth considering. Offering more coverage than a Bronze policy, but not as extensive as a Silver policy, Bronze Plus might be a happy medium that meets your healthcare needs without the higher...
If Gold Hospital Cover is out of your budget but a Silver policy doesn’t cover as many health services and treatments as you need, a Silver Plus Hospital Cover policy might be the best form of health insurance for you. Silver Plus policies can be cheaper than Gold, and they often cover Joint Replacements –...