Health Legislation Amendment (Improving Choice and Transparency for Private Health Consumers) Bill 2026

Stage by Stage

Summaries in reported speech - not a transcript. In date order, both chambers.

1. Thursday 12 February 2026 · House of Representatives

   Second Reading

   The debate concerned legislation aimed at increasing transparency in private health insurance and medical fees. The government argued the bill would help consumers understand out-of-pocket costs and prevent insurers from circumventing premium controls through product phoenixing. Mark Butler moved the second reading, outlining measures to publish fee data and strengthen ministerial oversight. No other members spoke, and the debate was adjourned without a recorded vote in the transcript.

   Outcome: The debate was adjourned.

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2. Wednesday 25 March 2026 · House of Representatives

   Second Reading

   The debate concerned the Health Legislation Amendment (Improving Choice and Transparency for Private Health Consumers) Bill 2026, which mandated transparency in private health costs and prohibited insurers from bypassing premium rules through product phoenixing. Government members supported the legislation as a necessary consumer protection measure, while opposition members welcomed the transparency provisions but raised concerns about rising out-of-pocket costs and called for a Senate inquiry. Amendments were moved to address broader systemic issues, including Medicare rebate indexation and independent oversight, with speakers emphasizing the need to protect Medicare and ensure affordable healthcare access.

   Outcome: The bill was commended to the House, pending the outcome of the amendments.

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3. Wednesday 24 June 2026 · House of Representatives

   Second Reading

   The debate centred on the bill's two main provisions: enhancing transparency of specialist fees via the Medical Costs Finder and outlawing product phoenixing in private health insurance. Labor members supported the legislation as a necessary measure to protect consumers from unpredictable costs and insurer loopholes, citing failures of previous voluntary disclosure models. The Liberal National Party member supported the bill's objectives but opposed its immediate passage, arguing that critical operational details regarding data accuracy and departmental resources remained unresolved. The coalition proposed referring the bill to a Senate committee for further scrutiny rather than blocking it entirely.

   Outcome: The bill was debated at second reading; the transcript does not record the final vote or passage.

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4. Thursday 25 June 2026 · House of Representatives

   Consideration in Detail

   The debate focused on amendments proposed by Independent member Monique Ryan to enhance transparency regarding medical fees and quality indicators, which the government declined to support in favour of stakeholder consultation. Minister Mark Butler subsequently moved government amendments to adjust commencement dates and clarify application provisions for private health insurance premium approvals. The House agreed to the government amendments, and the bill was passed as amended.

   Outcome: The government amendments were agreed to, and the bill was passed as amended.

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5. Thursday 25 June 2026 · House of Representatives

   Second Reading

   The debate focused on two main reforms: mandating the publication of specialist fees on the Medical Costs Finder website to improve price transparency, and closing a loophole allowing insurers to 'phoenix' products by replacing them with higher-priced equivalents without ministerial approval. All speakers supported the bill, arguing that cost uncertainty causes patients to delay care and that the previous voluntary disclosure system had failed due to low uptake. The legislation aims to empower consumers with data on out-of-pocket costs and strengthen oversight of private health insurance premiums.

   Outcome: The bill was not passed, with divisions resulting in 10 votes against and 71 votes for.

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6. Thursday 25 June 2026 · House of Representatives

   Third Reading
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7. Monday 29 June 2026 · Senate

   First Reading
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8. Monday 29 June 2026 · Senate

   Second Reading

   The Senate debated the Health Legislation Amendment (Improving Choice and Transparency for Private Health Consumers) Bill 2026, which aimed to increase transparency in private health insurance costs and strengthen ministerial oversight. The bill sought to publish specialist fee data on the Medical Costs Finder and prevent insurers from circumventing premium controls through product phoenixing. Only one speech was delivered before the debate was adjourned.

   Outcome: The debate was adjourned.

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9. Monday 14 September 2026 · Senate

   Second Reading

   The debate concerned a bill aimed at increasing transparency in private health costs and closing loopholes in insurance premium regulations. The Greens supported the legislation as a positive initial step but argued it failed to address the underlying affordability crisis, citing high specialist fees and the need for broader public health investment. The Liberal Party also supported the bill in principle, acknowledging their role in creating the original Medical Costs Finder, but raised concerns about the specific drafting of the measures. The debate was interrupted before a final vote or conclusion was reached.

   Outcome: The debate was interrupted before a conclusion was reached.

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10. Tuesday 15 September 2026 · Senate

    In Committee

    The Senate considered the bill in committee, focusing on amendments to the Medical Costs Finder provisions. The government moved amendments to establish a statutory review process for published information and clarify powers to correct or remove data, which were adopted. The coalition supported these government amendments but moved several of their own to require cost-recovery caps on fees, annual reporting on cost trends, publication of calculation methodologies, and restrictions on the scope of published information. The government accepted amendments regarding fee caps, annual reports, and methodology transparency but rejected proposals to limit liability, restrict oversight to hospital cover only, mandate immediate removal of disputed data, require statutory consultation, or narrow the data to financial costs only.

    Outcome: The bill was agreed to as amended, reported with amendments, and the report was adopted.

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11. Tuesday 15 September 2026 · Senate

    Second Reading

    The Senate debated the Health Legislation Amendment (Improving Choice and Transparency for Private Health Consumers) Bill 2026, which aims to increase transparency in specialist medical fees and prevent product phoenixing in private health insurance. The government argued the bill addresses high out-of-pocket costs and consumer uncertainty by mandating data publication on the Medical Costs Finder and requiring ministerial approval for new insurance products. The opposition supported the bill's principles but moved amendments to improve data accuracy, provide fee context, and cap application fees, while criticising the government's broader health policy record. The bill was passed after the minister indicated a government amendment would be moved at the committee stage.

    Outcome: The bill was read a second time.

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12. Tuesday 15 September 2026 · Senate

    Third Reading
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13. Wednesday 16 September 2026 · House of Representatives

    Consideration of Senate Message
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