Media Release: Private Health Insurance Hike Another Cost-of-Living Failure

The Albanese Labor Government has finally revealed the cost hike they have been hiding from 15 million Australians with private health insurance.

In this middle of a cost-of-living crisis, the Albanese Government’s private health insurance premium increase will come into effect on 1 April this year.

It marks the highest premium increase in 7 years.

Concerningly, the increase is above the rate of inflation.

This comes on top of the rising unaffordability of primary healthcare under this government, further adding to Australians’ skyrocketing health costs.

Bulk billing has collapsed by 11% under Labor and there have been 40 million fewer bulk billed GP visits in the past financial year alone, forcing Australians to pay record high out-of-pocket costs.

With today’s announcement, it is clear that the Albanese Government has failed to deliver on its healthcare promises—and Australian families are paying the price.

Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Anne Ruston said that the premium rise was another hit to Australians’ household budgets at a time when they can least afford it.

“The Albanese Government has hidden this cost hike for months, leaving Australians with private health insurance minimal time to prepare their budgets and shop around,” Shadow Minister Ruston said.

“Labor appears to be on track to kill off our private health system through delay and inaction. This is just another example, on top of the 14 private maternity wards that have closed under the Albanese Government across the country.

“We know Labor hates private health. It was Labor who cut the private health rebate when last in government, which has had a lasting negative impact on the affordability of private health insurance in Australia.”

In fact, former Labor Health Minister Tanya Plibersek once bragged at a press conference, “Every promise I made I paid for. How did I pay for it? I paid for it by targeting private health insurance.”

During the Coalition’s time in Government, we supported more than 15 million Australians to take out private health cover at the lowest cost in more than twenty years.

ENDS