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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You can use our healthslips.com.au Calculator to calculate your Age-based Discount.To get an accurate result, you will need to answer the following questions:
No. Insurers do not have to offer the Age-based Discount to their customers because the Australian Government has made it optional for insurers to offer it.If an insurer offers the Age-based Discount on a policy, they must offer the Discount to all eligible holders of that policy, including existing and new policy holders.If you change...
Dependants cannot claim the Age-based Discount.This means that, if you are 18-29 years old and covered as a dependant on a family or single parent Hospital Cover policy, you cannot claim the Age-based Discount. You must have your own policy to be eligible for the Age-based Discount.
The Age-based Discount is calculated at 2% for each year you are under 30 and hold Hospital Cover up to a maximum of 10% for people aged 18-25. Age when you take out Hospital Cover Discount 18-25 10% 26 8% 27 6% 28 4% 29 2% 30 0% The Age-based Discount lasts until you are...
The Age-based Discount is a discount on the cost of Hospital Cover for people under 30 to encourage them to take out Hospital Cover.If you are under 30 and your insurer offers it, you can save up to 10% on the cost of your Hospital Cover each year until you turn 41 when the Discount...
In this Guide, we explain the Age-based Discount, which is one way the Australian government encourages younger people to take out private health insurance.If you are under 30 and your insurer offers the Age-based Discount, you can reduce the cost of your Hospital Cover.Depending on your age, you could receive a discount of up to...