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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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...
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...
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...