35-Year High in the Number of Australians Covered by Private Hospital Insurance
New figures from the Private Health Insurance Administration Council show that more Australians are covered by private hospital insurance now than at any other time in the past 35 years.
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16 November 2011
New figures issued today by the Private Health Insurance Administration Council (PHIAC) show that more Australians are covered by private hospital insurance now than at any other time in the past 35 years.
Minister for Health and Ageing Nicola Roxon said the figures show the private health insurance industry is in good shape and, unlike when government private health insurance incentive programs began 14 years ago, the industry is now well positioned to adjust to the Government’s proposed changes to the private health insurance rebate.
“When private health insurance incentives were introduced in 1997, the rationale was that the sector was struggling and incentives were needed to bring it back to life. What we now see is a private health insurance sector that is going from strength to strength.
“While the sector has grown, so has the private health insurance rebate—so much so that, if we don’t act now, the rebate will rob the wider Australian health system of $100 billion over the next forty years.
“We don't believe that lower and middle income Australians should subsidise the private health insurance of millionaires, which is why we are making these modest changes to the rebate.
“Under the proposed changes to the rebate, only families earning a quarter of a million dollars or more would lose the rebate entirely and nearly eight million policy holders wouldn’t see any difference at all,” Minister Roxon said.
The figures released today by PHIAC show that in the September 2011 quarter:
- 10,353,096 people (45.6% of the population) were covered by hospital treatment insurance policies, an increase of 97,421 people from June 2011;
- 12,009,358 people (52.9% of the population) were covered by general treatment policies, an increase of 121,161 from June 2011; and
- 12,024,482 people (52.9% of the population) were covered by hospital, general, or hospital and general treatment combined policies, an increase of 122,567 people from June 2011.
For all media inquiries, please contact the Minister's Office on 02 6277 7220
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