Private health insurance funds are committed to providing consumers with clear, easy to understand and accessible information about their health fund and the valuable role of private health insurance in the Australian health system.
Releasing the revised Private Health Insurance Code of Conduct today at the annual Health Insurance Summit 2021, Private Healthcare Australia CEO, Dr Rachel David, said the Code demonstrated a commitment by individual health funds to provide members with a standard of customer service, accountability and transparency which goes beyond what is required by legislation.
The Code has been developed by Private Healthcare Australia and the Members Health Fund Alliance as the peak bodies which represent private health funds, in consultation with the government and regulators.
Dr David said: “As an industry, private health insurance funds are committed to helping consumers choose the best private health insurance for their needs. Included in the Code is a list of key terms and definitions, which will assist consumers in reading and understanding the Code.
“The Code sets out the information that health funds will provide to members regarding policies, the complaints handling process and what happens if your fund needs to change your policy.”
To ensure the Code is adhered to by participating health funds and is as effective as possible, Private Healthcare Australia has established a Code of Conduct Compliance Committee, comprising of independent consumer and industry representatives.
Dr David said increasing private health insurance membership demonstrated that more and more consumers were recognising the value of and relying on private health insurance, especially during the pandemic, and that it was now more important than ever for consumers to have access to concise, transparent information.
“Private health insurance is an important and cost-effective method of insuring yourself against unexpected health issues, providing you with more control over your health care, choice of services and choice of doctor.”
Access the PHI Code of Conduct here: https://privatehealthcareaustralia.org.au/codeofconduct/documents/
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Media contact: Izabela Szewczul, 0482 464 630