Insured Australians paying $410 for hospital treatment, new data shows

Australians with health insurance are paying an average of $410.67 out of pocket for hospital treatment, according to the latest industry statistics released by APRA. 

The report found that out-of-pocket payments in the October to December 2023 quarter have increased 10.2% since the same period in 2022, when insured Aussies were paying an average of $372.57 out of pocket.

APRA, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, is the government’s regulator for the financial services industry. In its latest quarterly private health insurance statistics report,  APRA also found:

• The amount of Hospital Cover claims paid by health insurers was around $1,320.28 per insured person, and $463.35 per person for Extras Cover claims.
• The largest out-of-pocket payments for Hospital Cover claims were for plastic/reconstructive procedures, where the average gap was $729.39.
• The largest amount of Extras claims paid out was for dental procedures, with an average of $253.07 paid to each insured person. 
• The age group claiming the most for Hospital treatments were 75 to 79 year olds. 
• Despite many households cutting costs due to increased living costs, the number of people with health insurance has stayed fairly static, with only a 0.1% decrease in the number of Aussies with Hospital cover and a 0.1% decrease for Extras cover compared with the July to September 2023 quarter. 

Read the full APRA findings here.

Trudie McConnochie

Writer and Researcher

Knowledge is power – that’s the guiding principle behind everything Trudie writes, and it’s a philosophy she brings to her work at healthslips.com.au. By breaking down complex information into easy-to-understand blogs and stories, she aims to empower Australians to make the best choices and an informed decision around private health insurance.

Trudie understands firsthand some of the complexity of private health insurance having moved to Australia from New Zealand and having to navigate a vastly different public healthcare system and health insurance structure.

Trudie holds a Bachelor of Communication Studies (journalism major) from the Auckland University of Technology.

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