Private Health Insurance Legislation Amendment Bill 2018

Summary

Part of a package of three bills to increase maximum excess levels for private hospital cover, the bill amends the: Private Health Insurance Act 2007 to: increase maximum excess levels for products providing an exemption from the Medicare levy surcharge; enable age-based premium discounts for hospital cover; enable private health insurers to cover travel and accommodation costs for regional Australians as part of a hospital treatment; require insurers to maintain up to date information about complying health insurance products in the form of a ‘private health information statement’; require the minister to assess and determine whether or not to include a private hospital in a class of hospitals eligible for second-tier default benefits; and enable insurers to terminate products and transfer affected policy-holders to new products; Age Discrimination Act 2004 to enable age-based premium discounts to be made available to younger people; and Ombudsman Act 1976 to provide the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman with powers to conduct inspections and audits at the premises of insurers or brokers. Also includes transitional provisions relating to the treatment of benefit limitation period inclusive policies.

Progress

House of Representatives
Introduced and read a first time	28 Mar 2018
Second reading moved	28 Mar 2018
Second reading debate	31 May 2018
Second reading agreed to	31 May 2018
Third reading agreed to	31 May 2018

Senate
Introduced and read a first time	18 Jun 2018
Second reading moved	18 Jun 2018
Second reading debate	10 Sep 2018
Second reading agreed to	10 Sep 2018
Committee of the Whole debate Amendment details: 5 Government agreed to	10 Sep 2018
Third reading agreed to	10 Sep 2018

House of Representatives
Consideration of Senate message Details: House agreed to Senate amendments	11 Sep 2018


Finally passed both Houses	11 Sep 2018
Assent Act no: 101 Year: 2018	21 Sep 2018

Documents and transcripts

Text of bill

First reading

As passed by both Houses

Explanatory memoranda

Addendum to explanatory memorandum

Explanatory memorandum

Supplementary explanatory memorandum

Transcript of speeches

Proposed amendments

Senate

Australian Greens [sheet 8504]
DI NATALE, Sen Richard

Government [sheet LP101]

Schedules of amendments

Schedule of the amendments made by the Senate

Bills digest

Bills Digest

Notes

Considered by scrutiny committee (09/05/2018): Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills; Scrutiny Digest 6 of 2018
Referred to Committee (19/06/2018): Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee; Committee report (13/08/2018)
An electronic version of this Act is available on the Federal Register of Legislation (www.legislation.gov.au)

Helpful information

Text of bill

First reading: Text of the bill as introduced into the Parliament
Third reading: Prepared if the bill is amended by the house in which it was introduced. This version of the bill is then considered by the second house.
As passed by both houses: Final text of bill agreed to by both the House of Representatives and the Senate which is presented to the Governor-General for assent.

Explanatory memoranda

Explanatory memorandum: Accompanies and provides an explanation of the content of the introduced version (first reading) of the bill.
Supplementary explanatory memorandum: Accompanies and explains amendments proposed by the government to the bill.
Revised explanatory memorandum: Accompanies and explains the amended version (third reading) of the bill. It supersedes the explanatory memorandum.

Proposed amendments

Circulated by members and senators when they propose to make changes to the bill. For details about the outcome of proposed amendments please refer to either the Votes and Proceedings (House of Representatives) or the Journals (Senate).

Schedules of amendments

Schedules of amendments list amendments agreed to by the second house are communicated to the first house for consideration. Subsequent action by either house may also be included in a schedule.