Health Premium Increases: How does your fund compare?
Health Minister Greg Hunt has approved federal government plans to increase health premiums by 4.84 per cent, that will add an average $200 a year to the cost of family cover. 
The latest increase comes as private health coverage is going backwards for the first time in 15 years, with 1 in 5 policyholders reportedly considering dropping or downgrading their cover. The price rise will depend on which health fund and policy people hold but the average weekly rise will be about $2 for a single person and $4 for families. This indicates that premiums have risen by 72% in a decade, 3 times the rate of inflation.
In a statement to Newscorp, Mr Hunt stated that the rise was the lowest in 10 years and could have been more if it had not been for reforms to cut the price health funds pay for hip and knee replacements and other prostheses.
"The health insurers have provided the Department of Health with evidence that they have taken the lower cost of prostheses into account in 2017 premiums. This has helped contribute to the lowest increase in 10 years."
With the cost of living rising, Australians are under the pump like never before. The cost of insurance, housing, fuel and education are all increasing, combined with slow income growth, which has exacerbated the issue of affordability.
Here's where your fund sits compared to the others (but be sure to check your own increase, as these are also just averages):
| Insurer | 2017 increase |
| health.com.au Pty Ltd | 8.53 |
| Health Insurance Fund of Australia Ltd | 7.99 |
| Queensland Teachers’ Union Health Fund Ltd | 7.3 |
| Cessnock District Health Benefits Fund Ltd | 6.57 |
| Health Care Insurance Ltd | 6.06 |
| HBF Health Ltd | 5.96 |
| Mildura District Hospital Fund Ltd | 5.95 |
| Phoenix Health Fund Ltd | 5.93 |
| Railway & Transport Health Fund Ltd | 5.54 |
| Defence Health Ltd | 5.51 |
| National Health Benefits Australia Pty Ltd | 5.41 |
| Queensland Country Health Fund Ltd | 5.15 |
| Health Partners Ltd | 5.1 |
| Peoplecare Health Ltd | 5.09 |
| Reserve Bank Health Society Ltd | 5 |
| St Luke's Medical and Hospital Benefits Association Ltd | 4.99 |
| CUA Health Ltd | 4.97 |
| Teachers Federation Health Ltd | 4.96 |
| Westfund Ltd | 4.96 |
| GMHBA Ltd | 4.94 |
| Navy Health Ltd | 4.94 |
| Transport Health Pty Ltd | 4.93 |
| Bupa HI Pty Ltd | 4.9 |
| INDUSTRY WEIGHTED AVERAGE | 4.84 |
| ACA Health Benefits Fund Ltd | 4.7 |
| Police Health Ltd | 4.63 |
| Medibank Private Ltd | 4.6 |
| Latrobe Health Services Ltd | 4.49 |
| NIB Health Funds Ltd | 4.48 |
| Australian Unity Health Ltd | 4.46 |
| Grand United Corporate Health Ltd | 4.11 |
| HCF | 3.65 |
| Doctors' Health Fund Pty Ltd, The | 3.54 |
| CBHS Health Fund Ltd | 3.29 |
| CBHS Corporate Health Pty Ltd | 2.98 |
