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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Some health insurers offer cover via organisations, clubs and workplaces, and as an employee, member or customer, you may be eligible for one of these policies. In some cases corporate health insurance policies may be cheaper than similar policies that are open to the general public, but it depends on what arrangements your organisation has...
To compare health insurance prices you must start by comparing every health insurer and every policy available in Australia, including restricted insurers. You can compare premiums for a new policy and premiums relative to your existing policy. Compare health insurance prices for a new policy To compare health insurance premiums on a new policy, you...
Yes. A non-student dependant can affect your health insurance price. If you have a child aged 18 to 31 who is not a full-time student, they may be covered as a non-student dependant on your policy, which may result in a higher premium. Non-student dependants can include those who are adopted, foster and stepchildren. Health...
If you have a dependant with a disability your insurer may increase the price of your health insurance. For the purposes of Private Health Insurance, the Australian government defines a dependant with a disability as a person aged 18 or over who is a participant in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). However insurers have...
Private Health Insurance prices can vary on policies that cover certain types of adult dependants. Child dependants on health insurance are those under the age of 18 that do not have a partner. Student dependants must be aged between 18 and 31, enrolled in full-time study and must not have a partner. There are 2...
Yes. Health insurer promotions including discounts, services, waivers, gifts or other offers must be applied equitably and available to all customers of that policy to avoid discrimination in the cost of health insurance. However promotions offered to customers belonging to a contribution group may not be available to all customers. Promotions may also be higher...
No. Health insurers do not have to offer the same promotions to new and existing customers. Promotions for new customers are different to promotions for existing customers. To attract new customers, insurers might offer promotions such as discounts, services, waivers, gifts or other offers. To retain existing customers, insurers may offer reduced premiums of up...
Yes, health insurer promotions are regulated by the Australian government. Find out more about how Private Health Insurance, including promotions, is regulated by the government.