Private Healthcare Australia (PHA)

Health funds will work with the Federal Government to thoroughly examine problems with Gold health insurance products following the Commonwealth Ombudsman’s public statement today.

The Minns Labor Government has backed down on a health tax that would result in an immediate rise to the cost of health insurance for four million NSW residents.

Hundreds of thousands of Australians have taken out health insurance for hospital treatment over the past year, demonstrating strong demand for private healthcare despite the cost-of-living crisis.

Within months of signing contracts with health funds representing 50% of Australia’s private health insurance market, Healthscope has announced it is ripping up the legally binding agreements and will start charging patients who use its hospitals from early next year.

Health insurers are urging people who have had surgery in private hospitals to check if they have been billed incorrectly under ‘no gap fee’ arrangements following allegations specialist doctors have been systematically defrauding patients, health funds and Medicare for personal financial gain.

Nurse practitioners should be given more responsibilities in private hospitals under Medicare to ease a shortage of medical specialists, the peak body for health funds says.