Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
To study the effectiveness of recent private health insurance (PHI) reforms, in particular the 30% rebate and Lifetime Health Cover, in terms of their stated aim of reducing the load on public hospitals.
METHODS:
Combines the use of two new projection models - "Private Health Insurance" (PHI) and "New South Wales Hospitals" that use public and private hospital inpatient data from 1996-97 to 1999-2000, and NSW population and private health insurance coverage statistics.
RESULTS:
With the PHI reforms 15% fewer individuals would use public hospitals in 2010 than without these reforms (around 18% fewer among the 40% most affluent Australians and 9% among the 40% least affluent). Lower public hospital usage would mainly be due to Lifetime Health Cover.
CONCLUSION:
If the PHI reforms remain in place, in 2010 a significant proportion of hospital use would be redirected away from the public sector and towards the private sector, with the shift being greatest among better-off Australians
To study the effectiveness of recent private health insurance (PHI) reforms, in particular the 30% rebate and Lifetime Health Cover, in terms of their stated aim of reducing the load on public hospitals.
METHODS:
Combines the use of two new projection models - "Private Health Insurance" (PHI) and "New South Wales Hospitals" that use public and private hospital inpatient data from 1996-97 to 1999-2000, and NSW population and private health insurance coverage statistics.
RESULTS:
With the PHI reforms 15% fewer individuals would use public hospitals in 2010 than without these reforms (around 18% fewer among the 40% most affluent Australians and 9% among the 40% least affluent). Lower public hospital usage would mainly be due to Lifetime Health Cover.
CONCLUSION:
If the PHI reforms remain in place, in 2010 a significant proportion of hospital use would be redirected away from the public sector and towards the private sector, with the shift being greatest among better-off Australians
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 305-314 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Australian Health Review |
| Volume | 31 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - 2007 |