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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How do ambulance services work in the ACT? If you live in the ACT, you have to pay for being treated by paramedics and transported by ambulance. You can find the fees and charges for ambulances services in the ACT on the ACT Emergency Services Agency’s website. You do not have to pay for ambulance...
Although private health insurance covers a broad range of treatments within Hospital Cover, Extras Cover and Ambulance Cover, there are some treatments the Australian Government excludes. We refer to these treatments as ‘excluded treatments’ because they cannot be covered. At present, there are 4 types of treatments that private health insurance does not cover because...
In Australia, Medicare does not cover ambulance services. In QLD and TAS, you do not have to pay for being treated by paramedics or transported by ambulance. If you live in a state or territory where you have to pay for an ambulance and do not have a private health insurance policy that includes ambulance...
If you are considering taking out private health insurance, you may want Extras Cover. Extras Cover helps you cover the cost of a wide range of treatments that Medicare does not cover. In this overview, we explain everything you need to know about Extras Cover. We also provide a detailed summary of each of the...