Summary

Part of a package of three bills to increase maximum excess levels for private hospital cover, the bill amends the:

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; to enable age-based premium discounts to be made available to younger people; and 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.