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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A Transfer Certificate, also called a Clearance Certificate, is a document created by your health insurer that gives details of your health cover and membership. When you change to a new health insurer, a Transfer Certificate tells your new insurer your health insurance history so that it can work out your waiting periods, Lifetime Health...
A closed policy is a health insurance policy that is no longer available for new customers to buy but continues to provide cover for existing customers. Health insurers may close policies to new sales at any time at their own discretion. In some cases, an insurer may close all policies from a particular health insurance brand....
If you have both Hospital and Extras Cover with the same insurer, your insurer may process these as one combined policy or as 2 separate policies (also called ‘split policies’, ‘second policies’ or ‘standalone policies’ by some insurers). Some Hospital Cover policies can only be purchased with an Extras Cover policy, and some insurers offer Extras...
There are 3 scenarios when you may have to pay out-of-pocket fees for treatments outside of hospital: What are the out-of-pocket fees for medical tests outside hospital? If Medicare covers your diagnostic test outside a hospital, such as blood tests and radiology services, it will pay 85% of the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Fee. If the service provider...
No, you do not need to serve waiting periods again for Hospital Cover if you change insurers and take out a new policy at the same level of cover as your existing policy. However if you are changing to a higher tier of cover, waiting periods will apply for the new services and treatments (known...
No. You cannot add your parents to your health insurance policy. They will need their own Private Health Insurance cover.
The cost of health insurance depends on factors such as the insurer and your level of cover, and there is a wide variation in prices and inclusions, so it is important to look for the best-priced policy that suits your health needs. To do this, use the healthslips.com.au Calculator to find your cheapest health insurance...
There are 2 incentives and one penalty provided by the government to encourage you to take out private health insurance. The incentives for health insurance may reduce the price you ultimately pay. The incentives are: Government RebateAlso known as the Private Health Insurance Rebate, the Government Rebate reduces your health insurance premium. The Rebate is based on...