Home page iconHOME |   Contents page iconCONTENTS |   User guide iconUSER GUIDE |  Search iconSEARCH |  Previous Years  PREVIOUS YEARS |

Administered Funding – Private Health Program

9.1 Private Health Insurance

Indicator:

Maintain the number of people covered by private health insurance – hospital cover.

Measured by:

Percentage of people covered by health insurance remaining stable.

Reference Point/Target:

People covered (43.4% of Australians had private hospital cover in December 2006), compared to 43.0% in December 2005.

Result: Indicator met.

In June 2008, 9.5 million (44.7%) people had private health insurance for hospital treatment compared with 9.1 million (43.5%) in June 2007. This is an increase of 1.2 percentage points from June 2007.

 

Indicator:

Increase in the proportion of in-hospital episodes delivered to private patients in public and private hospitals.

Measured by:

Proportion of episodes covered by health insurance increased from the previous financial year.

Reference Point/Target:

Increased proportion compared with 35% in 2004–05.

Result: Indicator met.

The proportion of in-hospital episodes delivered to private patients in public and private hospitals in 2006–07 was 35.9%, compared with 34.8% in 2004–05 and 34.8% in 2005–06. This is the latest available data. Figures for 2007–08 will not be available until May 2009.



Performance Information for Outcome 9 Departmental Outputs


Output Group 1 – Policy Advice

Indicator:

Quality, relevant and timely advice for Australian Government decision-making.

Measured by:

Ministerial satisfaction.

Reference Point/Target:

Maintain or increase from previous year.

Result: Indicator met.

Ministers were satisfied with the advice provided by the Department for Australian Government decision-making. This is on par with ministerial satisfaction in 2006–07.

 

Indicator:

Relevant and timely evidence-based policy research.

Measured by:

Production of relevant and timely evidence-based policy research.

Reference Point/Target:

Relevant evidence-based policy research produced in a timely manner.

Result: Indicator met.

The Department provided high quality and timely evidence-based research and analysis on the operation of the new private health insurance legislative regime and reported to the Minister. The research and analysis were used to make improvements to private health insurance, including through changes to the Private Health Insurance Act 2007 and the associated private health insurance rules.

 

Output Group 2 – Program Management

Indicator:

Administered budget predictions are met and actual expenses vary less than 0.5% from budgeted expenses.

Measured by:

Percentage that actual expenses vary from budgeted expenses.

Reference Point/Target:

0.5% variance from budgeted expenses.

Result: Indicator not met.

Actual expense varied 2.6% from budgeted expense. Expenditure on private health insurance rebates is demand driven. The overspend in 2007–08 is due to the increase in participation being higher than estimates which were based on historical trends.

 

Indicator:

Stakeholders to participate in program development.

Measured by:

Opportunities for stakeholder participation through a range of avenues, such as surveys, conferences and meetings.

Reference Point/Target:

Stakeholders participated in program development through workshops, conferences and meetings with industry.

Result: Indicator met.

The Private Health Insurance Administration Council, the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman and State and Territory Governments were consulted on the amendments made to the Private Health Insurance Rules and in the development of the Health Insurance Legislation Amendment Act 2007 .

The review of the prostheses arrangements involved stakeholder consultation with 49 written submissions from the private health industry. Ninety people took part in face-to-face consultations.

Insurers, service providers and the states and territories were consulted in the finalisation of the Private Health Insurance (Accreditation) Rules 2008.

All public and private hospitals and state and territory health departments were consulted in the process for declaration of hospitals.



Major Review


Review of the Arrangements Underpinning the Development of the Prosthesis List

Commencement Date:

06/07/07

End Date:

15/10/07

Related Key Strategic Direction:

Enhanced Arrangements for Funding Prostheses.

Web Address for Published Results:

<www.health.gov.au>


Produced by the Portfolio Strategies Division, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.
URL: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/annrpt/publishing.nsf/Content/outcome-9-part-2-performance-information-4
If you would like to know more or give us your comments contact: annrep@health.gov.au