10 million Australians are now covered by private hospital insurance, the highest rate in a decade.
The new figures have prompted Health Minister Nicola Roxon to push ahead with her plan to means-test the private health insurance rebate.
The quarterly figures, released today by the Private Health Insurance Administration Council, showed 45.3 per cent of the population was covered by private hospital insurance, an increase of 2.8 per cent over the 12 months to 30 June 2011.
The increase outstripped the population growth of 1.4 per cent.
the growth in private hospital insurance showed the strength of the private health insurance sector and reinforced the Government's intention to means-test the private health insurance rebate."The Government's proposed changes to the private health insurance rebate will ensure government subsidies through the rebate remain focused on the millions of low and middle income Australians who need and deserve this assistance,"If the changes do not go ahead, Treasury modelling indicates this will cost the budget $100 billion over the next four decades."
Under a bill before Parliament, the 30 per cent rebate for private health insurance would be means-tested on a three-tier system, starting with singles on more than $80,000 a year and for couples on more than $160,000.
The Government previously has twice failed in its attempt to means-test the rebate, with the measure passed by the Lower House, only to be defeated in the Senate.
modelling estimated that once the rebate was means-tested, 99.7 per cent of people would remain in private health insurance.
The new figures have prompted Health Minister Nicola Roxon to push ahead with her plan to means-test the private health insurance rebate.
The quarterly figures, released today by the Private Health Insurance Administration Council, showed 45.3 per cent of the population was covered by private hospital insurance, an increase of 2.8 per cent over the 12 months to 30 June 2011.
The increase outstripped the population growth of 1.4 per cent.
the growth in private hospital insurance showed the strength of the private health insurance sector and reinforced the Government's intention to means-test the private health insurance rebate."The Government's proposed changes to the private health insurance rebate will ensure government subsidies through the rebate remain focused on the millions of low and middle income Australians who need and deserve this assistance,"If the changes do not go ahead, Treasury modelling indicates this will cost the budget $100 billion over the next four decades."
Under a bill before Parliament, the 30 per cent rebate for private health insurance would be means-tested on a three-tier system, starting with singles on more than $80,000 a year and for couples on more than $160,000.
The Government previously has twice failed in its attempt to means-test the rebate, with the measure passed by the Lower House, only to be defeated in the Senate.
modelling estimated that once the rebate was means-tested, 99.7 per cent of people would remain in private health insurance.
No comments:
Post a Comment