AMA, insurers dig in for private health battle in Australia
21-Dec-15, The Age
The doctors' lobby has warned the government not to allow health funds to price insurance based on factors such as age and lifestyle, while attacking "junk" policies that don't cover common procedures.
%20Andrew%20Meares_The%20Age.jpg "AMA insurers dig in for private health battle in Australia (c) Andrew Meares The Age")
Image: Andrew Meares / The Age
Government budgets are under severe strain and surging healthcare costs have put pressure on public finances and insurance premiums, prompting a federal review into private health insurance, alongside several other reviews into the health system.
In its submission to the review the Australian Medical Association took aim at insurance policies with exclusions, saying patients with such policies are often shocked to discover they are not covered for a common procedure.
The AMA said that in the past six years the number of people covered by exclusionary policies had jumped from 10 per cent to 35 per cent.