House of Representatives

A New Tax System (Medicare Levy Surcharge-Fringe Benefits) Amendment (Excess Levels for Private Health Insurance Policies) Bill 2018

Medicare Levy Amendment (Excess Levels for Private Health Insurance Policies) Bill 2018

Private Health Insurance Legislation Amendment Bill 2018

Private Health Insurance Legislation Amendment Act 2018

Explanatory Memorandum

(Circulated by authority of the Minister for Health, the Honourable Greg Hunt MP)

[1]
Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, Private Health Insurance Membership Trends, June 2017.

[2]
Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, Private Health Insurance Statistical Trends - Benefit Trends, December 2017.

[3]
Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, Private health insurance - Risk equalisation financial year results 2015 - 16 , February 2017.

[4]
Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, Private Health Insurance Membership Trends, June 2017.

[5]
Single parents and couples (including de facto couples) are subject to family tiers. For families with children, the thresholds are increased by $1,500 for each child after the first.

[6]
Data from the Australian Taxation Office, September 2016.

[7]
Australian Government, Budget Paper No. 1, Budget strategy and outlook 2017-18, Statement 6, Table 8.1.

[8]
Available on the Department's website at http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/private-health-insurance-reform-timeline.

[9]
Regulatory Burden Measurement Framework Guidance Note: Appendix 2 Default work-related and non-work-related labour rates.

[10]
Based on information from the Department of Health's Communication Branch.

[11]
Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, quarterly statistics, June 2017. This figure only includes adults that have a private health insurance policy for the purpose of a mail out.

[12]
A private health insurer must ensure that, if a proposed change to the insurer's rules:

a)
is or might be detrimental to the interests of an insured person; and
b)
will require an update to the standard information statements for a complying health insurance product of the insurer;
an adult insured under each complying health insurance policy in the product:
c)
is informed about the proposed change a reasonable time before the change takes effect; and
d)
is given the updated standard information statement for the product subgroup that the policy belongs to as soon as practicable after the statement is updated.


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