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...
Most Australians will pay more for health insurance next week due to a reduction in a rebate designed to make health cover cheaper. Cuts to the Private Health Insurance Rebate take effect on April 1 at the same time as most policies are increasing in price by an average of 3.7% – which adds up...
Out-of-pocket payments for Private Health Insurance claims continue to rise, putting more pressure on Australian households during the cost-of-living crisis. New data from Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), which regulates the health insurance industry, found a 7% increase in Gaps paid for Hospital Cover claims for the quarter finishing December 2024, compared with the same...
Health insurance will increase by an average of 3.7% in April – the highest premium increase since 2018. Every year health insurers are allowed to raise their premiums only once. This year, Minister of Health Mark Butler rejected insurers’ proposed increases (reportedly up to 6%) at least twice before agreeing on an average premium increase...
Australian private health insurers have been criticised for using a loophole to raise the prices of Gold Cover policies. This week the Commonwealth Ombudsman found evidence some insurers have been raising prices through ‘product phoenixing’ – closing existing policies to new customers, and creating almost identical policies at a higher price. As a result, new...
Australians with Private Health Insurance are paying higher out-of-pocket payments for hospital treatment than a year ago, new data shows. The latest statistics from Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), which regulates the health insurance industry, show out-of-pocket fees for private hospital treatment increased by 8% in the 12 months from October 2023 to September 2024....
If you’ve used health insurance to pay for surgery in a private hospital or clinic, check your bill to make sure you haven’t been charged a Gap incorrectly. That’s the advice from Private Healthcare Australia, the peak body for the health insurance industry, after allegations that some specialists (including surgeons and anaesthetists) have been ‘double...
A ‘health tax’ passed by NSW government last week means NSW residents could face higher premiums for health insurance in 2025. The new legislation means the state government can increase its existing tax on private health insurance if insurers do not agree to pay a higher ‘bed rate’ of $892 for private patients in public...
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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. Natural Therapy is not a registered health profession. Instead, the Australian Traditional Medicine...
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...
No. Medicare does not cover the cost of being treated by paramedics and/or being transported in an ambulance. Depending on where you live, you may have to pay if you use an ambulance service or the state or territory government where you live could offer a free service. Find out how ambulance services operate in...
Ambulance services in Australia are run at a state and territory level, which means the way they operate varies depending on where you live. Whether or not you have to pay for treatment by paramedics or transport by ambulance also depends on where you live. In QLD and TAS, ambulance services are free for residents...