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...
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...
Bupa members who had Hospital Cover claims rejected between 1 May 2018 and 31 August 2023 may be entitled to compensation. The health insurer has announced it incorrectly rejected “mixed coverage” claims – claims for 2 or more treatments at a time – and certain other types of claims during this period. Bupa has apologised...
Members of Teachers Health and TUH are about to become part of the sixth largest health insurer in Australia. The two not-for-profit insurers have announced they will merge next week on 1 July, forming a combined insurer that will cover 500,000 people, Teachers Health said. TUH said the merger will bring some small benefits to...
Australians uncertain about whether or not to get health insurance could find the decision a little easier next week, as of 1 July. Those who don’t have Hospital Cover and earn over a certain income threshold get charged the Medicare Levy Surcharge at tax time – a levy of between 1% and 1.5%. For some...
Australians are claiming on private health insurance more than ever, new data shows. The latest figures from APRA (Australian Prudential Regulation Authority), which regulates the health insurance industry, show that insurers paid $18.9 billion in Hospital Cover claims for the 12 months ending 31 March 2025 – an increase of 6.9%. For Extras Cover claims,...
Healthscope private hospitals remain open for surgeries and treatments, despite the organisation going into receivership this week. Some Australians with Hospital Cover were concerned that private hospital treatment could be harder to access in the wake of the Healthscope collapse, but the organisation said its hospitals will remain open for treatments. Healthscope – which operates...
The government has announced it will investigate health insurers for using a loophole to raise their prices. In December last year, Minister of Health Mark Butler warned health insurers to stop ‘phoenixing’ policies after a Commonwealth Ombudsman report brought the practice to light. By law, health insurers can only raise prices once a year, but...
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Does private health insurance cover visits to a non-GP specialist? No. Private health insurance does not cover visits to see a non-GP specialist in their consulting rooms. Instead, visits to a non-GP specialist in their consulting rooms are covered by Medicare. If you are enrolled with Medicare, it will pay some or all of the...
Does private health insurance cover visits to a GP? No. Private health insurance does not cover visits to see a General Practitioner (GP). Instead, visits to the GP are covered by Medicare. If you are enrolled with Medicare, it will pay some or all of the cost:
Residential Aged Care and private health insurance What is Residential Aged Care? In Australia, Residential Aged Care is care for older people who can no longer live independently at home. It includes accommodation and 24-hour personal and nursing care, including: The idea behind Residential Aged Care is to ensure older people receive the support they...
Natural therapies and private health insurance What is a natural therapy? A natural therapy is a complementary or alternative therapy used to diagnose, treat and prevent illness, including: In other words, natural therapies are treatments that fall outside conventional or mainstream medicine. Are natural therapies covered by private health insurance? At present, private insurers can...
Home Care Packages and private health insurance What are Home Care Packages? If you are older and have complex needs, you can get a Home Care Package to help you live independently in your own home. Many older people choose a Home Care Package because it helps them stay at home rather than go into...
Cosmetic Surgery and private health insurance What is Cosmetic Surgery? Cosmetic Surgery is surgery that is designed to improve a person’s appearance by reshaping a bodily feature. In other words, Cosmetic Surgery is not performed for a medical reason. What is the difference between Cosmetic Surgery and Plastic Surgery? Plastic Surgery is a broad field...
In this Guide, we provide an overview of private health insurance in Australia, as well as answer your most common questions. This Guide explains:
An ambulance service includes the treatment paramedics provide to sick or injured people in an emergency and transport to hospital in a vehicle designed to provide emergency care. Sometimes ambulances are used to transport patients between hospitals. In Australia, ambulance services use: Due to the vast distances, ambulance services also use helicopters and airplanes, especially...