TRYING to work out what private health cover best suits your family can be confusing but this health care path is set to be clearer under the Federal Government’s proposed package of reforms.
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At least that’s the prediction of Maranoa MP David Littleproud.
“Today the Coalition Government announced changes which will make private health insurance simpler and more affordable,” Mr Littleproud said.
“To make health insurance policies simpler, we will act to require insurers to categorise products as gold, silver, bronze or basic and use standardised definitions for treatments to make it clear what is – and isn’t – covered in the policies offered.
“To support the bush, insurers will be able to offer travel and accommodation benefits for those who live regional and rural areas and need to travel for treatment – this is great news for Maranoa.
“We are encouraging younger Australians to take up private health insurance by allowing insurers to discount hospital insurance premiums for 18 to 29 year olds by up to 10%. The discount will phase out after people turn 40.”
The www.privatehealth.gov.au website will be upgraded to make it easier to compare insurance products, and insurers will be able to provide personalised information to consumers on their product every year.
“We are investing about $6 billion every year in the private health insurance rebate to help keep premiums affordable for families,” Mr Littleproud said.
“These reforms will deliver better value for families and make health insurance policies easier to understand becauseprivate health insurance is an essential and valuable part of the Australia’s health system.”
The changes will:
Provide discounted hospital insurance for young Australians;
Simplify the system by requiring insurers to categorise products as gold, silver, bronze or basic; and
Deliver additional coverage for mental health services and additional support for Australians living in rural and remote areas.
