Transcript
Station: Channel 7
Program: Seven News QLD at 4pm
Date: 18th May 2016
Time: 4:33 PM
Compere: Kendall Gilding
Program: Seven News QLD at 4pm
Date: 18th May 2016
Time: 4:33 PM
Compere: Kendall Gilding
Interviewee: Dr Rachel David, CEO, Private Healthcare Australia
| NEWSREADER:: | New figures show there’s been a dramatic spike in the level of restrictions on hospital cover for private health customers. But health insurers argue it’s a way for policy-holders to tailor to their needs. Marlina Whop has the details. |
| REPORTER: | Policy holders with hospital cover are increasingly downgrading their benefits. Data from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority shows the number of policies with restrictions has jumped significantly in the past decade, from about 5 per cent to nearly 38 per cent. It comes amid continued premium rises. This year’s increase means an average of $200 extra a year for families and $100 for singles. But health insurers say exclusions in policies are important in the current climate to help keep costs down. |
| RACHEL DAVID: | But our great frustration is the majority of the cost inputs to health insurance are beyond our control. These are hospital costs rising at over 7 per cent per annum, medical specialist costs rising at over 7 per cent per annum, and medical devices costs or prostheses costs, rising at 9 per cent per annum. |
| REPORTER: | The number of Australians with hospital cover remains the same from the last quarter, at just over 47 per cent. |
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