We Cover 12 Million Australians

5 April 2012

As at 31 December 2011, the number of insured persons with hospital cover was 10,403,680, and the number of insured persons with general treatment cover was 12,078,209. A total of 12,090,453 persons held some form of private health insurance. The proportion of the Australian population with hospital cover was 45.7%, with 53.6% of the Australian population having general treatment cover, and overall private health insurance coverage of the Australian population being 53.1%.

Selected statistics from the Dec 2011 Private Health Insurance Industry Statistics Report on private health insurance membership and benefits are presented below.

Private Health Insurance Membership

For the quarter ending 31 December 2011:

  • The number of insured persons increased from the previous quarter from 12,024,482 to 12,090,453 (+0.5%) for all cover, increased from 10,353,096 to 10,403,680 (+0.5%) for hospital cover, and increased from 12,009,358 to 12,078,209 (+0.6%) for general treatment cover during the same period.
  • The proportion of the Australian population with private health insurance increased to 53.1% for the quarter ending 30 September 2011. The proportion of the population with hospital cover increased by 0.1% to 45.7%, and the proportion of the population with general treatment cover increased to 53.6% during the same period.
  • The number of insured persons aged over 65 was 1.55 million representing 14.9% of the insured population, and 50.1% of the Australian population aged over 65. This was an increase from the previous quarter of 31,894 insured persons.
  • As at December 2011, 990,491 insured persons were paying a Lifetime Health Cover loading, an increase from September 2011 of 1.4%.
  • The average age of insured persons with hospital cover was 40.3. For insured persons with general treatment cover, the average age was 38.5.
  • Membership across all age cohorts, with the exception of those aged 45-49 increased in the year ending December 2011 when compared to the year ending December 2010.

Hospital Treatment Benefits

  • Benefits paid for treatment in all private hospitals (including freestanding day surgeries) totaled $6.39 billion, an increase of 11.4% on the year ending December 2010.
  • Benefits paid for treatment in public hospitals totaled $735 million, an increase of 19.1% on the previous year.
  • Benefits paid for treatment in freestanding day surgeries totaled $328.3 million, an increase of 15.0% on the previous year.
  • Private health insurance funds paid benefits of $1.62 billion for medical services, an increase of 10.4% from the previous year.
  • $1.45 billion was paid to insured persons for prostheses items, an increase of 9.1% from the year ending 31 December 2010.

General Treatment Benefits

  • A total of $3.35 billion was paid for allied health services in the year ending 31 December 2011, an increase of 7.5% from the previous year.
  • Of the $3.35 billion in allied health services benefits, $1.7 billion was paid for dental services (+6.7%), $599 million for optical services (+9.5%), $270 million for chiropractic services (+7.8%), $234 million for physiotherapy services (+6.9%) and $96 million for natural therapies services (+21.9%) when compared to the year ending December 2010.
  • Benefits paid for treatment provided in a hospital-substitute setting totaled $24.2 million during the period.
  • Private health insurance funds paid $45.2 million in benefits for chronic disease management programs during the period.

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