We’re coming towards the end of our private health insurance (PHI) scheme with more than 30,000 of you registering your support. The numbers are terrific especially since we’d given ourselves a month to reach the target of 25,000 and now we'll comfortably exceed it. But behind the figures are some real stories as relayed to us via the survey you have filled in and also thanks to the usual... read more>

The symptoms include prolonged pains in the hip area,  pronounced  feelings of helplessness and a fear of surprises especially from doctors’ bills. The diagnosis is of a private health insurance system with policies that increase in price by some 6% a year and where too many patients pay more than they might. The medicine includes matching yourself to a better insurer  and a better plan m... read more>

A few days ago some private health insurance funds said they’d help consumers get more value for money out of their policies by giving  more information about out-of-pocket and other annoying extras. Sharing our experiences of gap payments can be handy in choosing a specialist but there are steps we can take now to save ourselves, if not the healthcare system. About 12 million ... read more>

When it comes to Health Insurance, I was pre-programmed from a young age to have it. When I turned 18, my dad told me to get myself covered and I joined up and stayed with the same fund for around 15 years. Then along came a new player in the market who was well known for car insurance, but not health. They offered all sorts of bells and whistles so I switched. I stayed about 4 years. Lik... read more>

Melbourne University's Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia project surveyed about 17,000 people about their lives each year and confirmed what our member have been telling us for years: massive premium increases are hitting older people hardest of all. Australian households are spending about 20 per cent more on health insurance than they were in the mid-naughties and the ... read more>