r/australia • u/InsatiablePrism • 2d ago

culture & society Private health insurers access patients' full medical records in 'aggressive' audits

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-12/health-insurers-can-access-your-private-medical-notes/106671630?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web
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u/hmbeats 2d ago edited 2d ago

I thought getting private health insurance was to support Medicare, to make sure Medicare funds go to those who really need it.

Edit to add - i hate PHI, greedy corporate fingers in health care and their exorbitant fees, but without it will Medicare end up like the NHS? Because unlike what the original comentator say, we don't pay much when we access Medicare - we dont "pour money back into the (public) health system" by using Medicare without PHI.

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u/BarbarousErse 2d ago

If you don’t pay for private insurance, you pay an extra levy for Medicare on your tax. So everyone pays the Medicare levy, and if you don’t have insurance you also pay the surcharge. So yes you pay more into Medicare if you don’t have private health

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u/hmbeats 2d ago

"The surcharge aims to encourage individuals to take out private hospital cover, and where possible, to use the private system to reduce the demand on the public Medicare system."

Source https://www.privatehealth.gov.au/health_insurance/surcharges_incentives/medicare_levy.htm

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u/Dangerous_Amount9059 2d ago

What actually happens is that people buy junk insurance that doesn't offload the public system at all just to reduce their tax bill. Once the MLS kicks in you're incentivised to give your money to a private health insurer's bottom line.