Private Healthcare Australia

Private Healthcare Australia We are the peak representative body for Australia’s private health insurance industry.

We represent 21 Australian health funds with a combined membership of 14.4 million Australians or 98% of the sector.

From 1 November, health funds will be able to pay for Nurse Practitioners who assist with surgical operations, following...
30/10/2025

From 1 November, health funds will be able to pay for Nurse Practitioners who assist with surgical operations, following Albanese Government changes to Medicare.

This is a sensible move that recognises the skill set of Nurse Practitioners and expands workforce options for hospitals across Australia.

PHA continues to call for health funds to be able to pay for Nurse Practitioner consultations in private hospitals to provide Australians with more high-quality options for their healthcare.

Australian consumers and health insurers are paying an increasing amount towards healthcare in Australia while other sou...
30/10/2025

Australian consumers and health insurers are paying an increasing amount towards healthcare in Australia while other sources remain more stable, a new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) shows.

In 2023-24, health insurers contributed $21 billion for healthcare – up 4% on the previous year, and individuals spent $44 billion on healthcare – up 3% on the previous year. Other government sources remained broadly flat.

Health funds are playing a growing role in Australia's mixed public-private healthcare system. We are helping half of all Australians put money aside so they can access rapid healthcare from a provider of choice if they need it.

The reports also shows an estimated $180 billion was spent on disease and injury in 2023-4. Cancer was the most expensive condition ($19.7 billion), followed by cardiovascular diseases ($16.9 billion), and musculoskeletal disorders ($16.3 billion).

Read the full report here: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/health-welfare-expenditure/health-expenditureAustralian

Every Week Counts: The Australian reports new research that’s giving babies a safer beginningNew data shows encouraging ...
29/10/2025

Every Week Counts: The Australian reports new research that’s giving babies a safer beginning

New data shows encouraging mothers to carry their baby to 39 weeks gestation, when safe to do so, can reduce potentially harmful preterm births by up to 10%.

A peer-reviewed study of The Australian Preterm and Early Term Birth Prevention Program, featured in latest edition of The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women’s Health, shows there have been around 4,000 fewer early births each year under the world-first initiative.

Preterm birth (between 37 weeks and before 39 completed weeks) remains one of the leading causes of death and long-term disability in children worldwide.

Induced early deliveries for non-clinical reasons can occur in both private and public health sectors, highlighting the importance of consistent, evidence-based maternity care across all settings.

We’re proud to stand alongside the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care in supporting safer, informed care and reducing unnecessary early intervention when there’s no medical need.

You can read the article by Penny Timms here https://www.theaustralian.com.au/health/medical/premature-births-cut-by-up-to-10-per-cent-in-australialed-program/news-story/4780651ee1b84e608f32afd0d4430ca6

If you are concerned about how much it might cost to see a private specialist doctor, ask your GP for an unnamed referra...
22/10/2025

If you are concerned about how much it might cost to see a private specialist doctor, ask your GP for an unnamed referral so you can phone around to ask about fees before choosing one to visit.

You can also look up how much some specialists charge for an initial consultation in your area on this website: (Zable Health) https://zable.com.au/. Our data shows some specialists are charging increasingly high fees, including for an initial consultation.

Health insurers are not permitted to cover this fee. Asking for a flexible referral from GP could save you money.

The ATO and AHPRA have today warned doctors, dentists and businesses to stop pushing people to dip into their superannua...
16/10/2025

The ATO and AHPRA have today warned doctors, dentists and businesses to stop pushing people to dip into their superannuation for expensive or unnecessary treatments. We’ve seen too many cases where people are told to use their super to pay for procedures that aren’t medically necessary and it’s been driving up costs for everyone in the private health system.

Super should only ever be accessed early in genuine cases of medical need, after other options have been explored.
This new action by regulators is an important step to protect Australians’ savings and keep health care affordable. Watch the video by ATO here to find out more: https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/super-for-individuals-and-families/super/withdrawing-and-using-your-super/early-access-to-super/access-on-compassionate-grounds/compassionate-grounds-health-practitioner-information

Despite recent claims private mental health services are reducing, data on private hospital licenses and expansions show...
16/10/2025

Despite recent claims private mental health services are reducing, data on private hospital licenses and expansions shows Australia’s private mental health sector is continuing to expand.

More beds have opened in new private mental health hospitals over the past five years than were lost in standalone mental health hospital closures.

Our CEO, Rachel David recognises that while every closure of a mental health facility is concerning for the community, the sector is growing with more modern patient-centred services proliferating.

Read our full release here: https://privatehealthcareaustralia.org.au/data-shows-more-private-mental-health-hospital-beds-are-being-added-to-the-system/

The rising cost of specialist medical fees is resulting in Australians delaying appointments. The number of first appoin...
26/09/2025

The rising cost of specialist medical fees is resulting in Australians delaying appointments. The number of first appointments with specialist doctors has dropped 10% in the last 5 years, with costs to see specialists such as psychiatrists rising to as much as $1000 in some cases. This is simply unaffordable for most Australians and causing reduced demand for private hospitals.

This morning, our CEO Rachel David appeared on ABC Radio Hobart to address the closure of the Hobart Clinic and soaring medical specialist fees. Read the full interview here: https://privatehealthcareaustralia.org.au/dr-rachel-david-spoke-with-abc-radio-hobart-about-the-closure-of-hobart-clinic-and-the-issue-of-soaring-medical-specialist-fees/

New data suggests a rising proportion of Australians are experiencing pain that interferes with their ability to work fo...
22/09/2025

New data suggests a rising proportion of Australians are experiencing pain that interferes with their ability to work for an income and engage in housework at home.

According to the latest data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) annual survey, pain is becoming more common for people in active jobs, such as labourers, technicians, machinery operators, drivers and trades workers compared to professionals and managers who work in offices. Other factors contributing to this trend across our population include chronic disease, obesity and more sedentary lifestyles.

Given the debilitating impacts of chronic pain and the costs for our health-care system and economy, slowing down this trend is imperative.

Health insurance funds are helping people prevent pain and manage pain through exercise, dietary advice and access to care in the community such as dental, physiotherapy and other allied health care. If you are experiencing pain, talk to your GP and act early to give yourself the best chance of recovery.

Click here to read more: https://theconversation.com/australians-are-in-more-pain-and-our-new-data-shows-its-not-just-due-to-ageing-265294

No Australian should have to risk their financial security to afford dental care. As Victoria Devine explains in The Ag...
15/09/2025

No Australian should have to risk their financial security to afford dental care.

As Victoria Devine explains in The Age, a rising number of Australians are skipping dental treatment or tapping into their superannuation early to fund it.

This is causing dental fees to soar and should be subject to much tighter regulation.

On behalf of 15 million Australians investing in health insurance to access dental care among other healthcare, we want the Australian Government to address this.

Allowing people to access superannuation early for dentistry has driven up the cost of many dental treatments. It means all consumers of the private dental system are facing steeper costs for dentistry.

Read the full article here: https://www.theage.com.au/money/planning-and-budgeting/dental-care-is-too-expensive-and-it-s-our-super-that-s-suffering-20250912-p5muj7.html

ACT residents with health insurance are being charged excessive out-of-pocket costs for using their insurance in a publi...
03/09/2025

ACT residents with health insurance are being charged excessive out-of-pocket costs for using their insurance in a public hospital. Our analysis reveals at least 30% of ‘private patients’ treated in ACT public hospitals in 2022-23 received bills ranging from $50 to over $9000.

When someone opts to use their health insurance in a public hospital, doctors can legally charge as a private specialist. Patients can also be charged for diagnostic services by doctors they have never seen, never met and did not choose.

Patients often receive the same services they would as a public patient without health insurance but find themselves hundreds or thousands of dollars out-of-pocket because they ticked a box to use their health insurance. Patients are often signing these documents when they’re very ill, raising ethical concerns about their ability to consent.

Read our release here: https://privatehealthcareaustralia.org.au/people-with-health-insurance-are-receiving-shock-bills-from-act-public-hospitals/

From January 2026, the ACT “Ambulance Levy” will rise by 10%, forcing more than 318,000 Canberrans with health cover to ...
01/09/2025

From January 2026, the ACT “Ambulance Levy” will rise by 10%, forcing more than 318,000 Canberrans with health cover to pay higher bills:

$180 a year for singles
$360 a year for families

This is the wrong policy at the wrong time. Canberrans already face the highest GP and specialist fees in the country, and many households are struggling with cost-of-living pressures.

More than half of those with private cover in the ACT earn under $90,000 a year and 26% earn under $50,000 a year.

Instead of supporting people who take pressure off the ACT’s busy public hospitals, this tax risks driving them out of health cover, making ambulance waits, ED queues and surgery delays even worse.

Read more via our website: https://privatehealthcareaustralia.org.au/act-health-insurance-tax/

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