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AMA Private Health Insurance Report Card now available

AMA President, Dr Tony Bartone, warned that the private health insurance sector in Australia is on the precipice during the recent launch of the AMA Private Health Insurance Report Card 2019, and called for cooperation between the Government, the insurers, and all stakeholders to make private health insurance more attractive for more Australians.

The AMA Report Card provides patients and consumers with clear, simple information about how health insurance really works, in the hope that better information instils more confidence in the private health insurance system.

“The AMA supports patients to understand the fees, costs, and payment options associated with their care. Good health financial literacy is paramount. All patients need clear and concise information and guides,” Dr Bartone said.

“The AMA worked with the whole medical profession to produce an informed financial consent guide earlier this year, and that is why we continue to produce this Report Card every year.”

Dr Bartone said that the proposed Government website to allow people to search specialists’ fees is meaningless as it will do nothing to fully inform patients about their likely out-of-pocket costs unless it also lists what patients can expect back from Medicare and their private health insurance fund.

Dr Bartone said the AMA welcomed the introduction of the Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Basic categories for policies and the standard clinical definitions applied under each category.

“We now have more meaningful and consistent levels of cover in each category,” Dr Bartone said.

“But the Government review and the new insurance policy structure did not address the key issues of affordability and value for money.

“We need to work to bring back the value in insurance policies, before it is too late.”

Read the full media release here.

Read the transcript of Dr Bartone’s doorstop interview here.

The AMA Private Health Insurance Report Card 2019 is available here.

Informed Financial Consent: A Collaboration Between Doctors and Patients is available here.

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