Reflections on the role of less-than-comprehensive (exclusionary) private health insurance hospital products in the Australian healthcare system
Peter E. ThomasNational Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National University, Building 62, Mills Road, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia. Email: pethomas@rocketmail.com
Australian Health Review 36(3) 273-276 https://doi.org/10.1071/AH10989
Submitted: 14 December 2010 Accepted: 12 October 2011 Published: 8 June 2012
Journal Compilation © AHHA 2012
Abstract
The number of people in Australia that are currently covered by a hospital private health insurance product continues to rise every quarter. In September 2010, for the first time since the introduction of the public universal social insurance scheme, Medicare, more than 10 million persons in Australia are covered by private health insurance. Although the number of persons covered by private health insurance continues to grow, the quality and level of cover that members are holding is changing significantly. In an effort to limit premium rises and to reduce the benefits paid for treatment, private health insurers have introduced, and moved a large number of existing members to, less-than-comprehensive private health insurance policies. These policies, known as ‘exclusionary’ policies, are changing the dynamics of private health insurance in Australia. After examining the emergence and prevalence of these products, this commentary gives three different examples to illustrate how such products are changing the nature of private health insurance in Australia and are now set to create a series of policy issues that will require future attention.
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