Serious gaps in the Government’s understanding of who will be affected by its plan to cut the higher health insurance rebate for older Australians have been exposed at Budget Estimates this week.
Serious gaps in the Government’s understanding of who will be affected by its plan to cut the higher health insurance rebate for older Australians have been exposed at Budget Estimates this week.
Australians with health insurance are being urged to ask surgeons about their fees before committing to surgery, amid new data showing enormous differences in what patients are being charged for the same procedure.
Australians enjoy among the highest life expectancies in the world, strong cancer survival rates and relatively low rates of avoidable death. That success is not accidental. It reflects decades of bipartisan support for a model where public and private healthcare work together rather than compete.
More than three million older Australians – including more than 400,000 pensioners with private health insurance – will be hit by the Albanese Government’s decision to cut private health insurance rebates for Australians aged over 65 in tonight’s Federal Budget.
Private Healthcare Australia (PHA) has warned the Federal Government’s proposed changes to the private health insurance rebate for older Australians could threaten the viability of dozens of private hospitals that regional communities rely on for essential healthcare.
Older Australians could be hit with health insurance price rises three times higher than younger Australians from April next year, with some retirees facing annual increases of more than $1,600, analysis from Private Healthcare Australia shows.


