More Australians opt for private health insurance:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The latest Australian government figures show that some 43% of the population, or 8.6 million people, are now covered by private insurance. This is 2.7 million more than four years ago and means that 25,000 people joined private insurance schemes during the last quarter of 2003, the largest increase in two years. Furthermore, the majority of these new members were aged between 20-29. The government offers a 30% private health insurance rebate, which is valued at Aus$750 (US$594) for the average family, it says.