Health Legislation Amendment (Improving Choice and Transparency for Private Health Consumers) Bill 2026; Consideration in Detail

Opened the debate

Ryan moved six amendments to strengthen the bill by requiring the publication of median fees, interquartile ranges, and high-fee thresholds to help patients identify outliers. The proposals also included publishing quality indicators such as complication rates and patient-reported outcomes, alongside information on upfront fees and gap cover arrangements. Ryan argued that timely data updates and published calculation formulas were necessary to maintain trust and allow the system to reflect fee reductions. Additionally, the amendments sought to mandate annual reports on pricing trends and audits of product phoenixing practices to monitor the legislation's effectiveness.

Government response

Butler acknowledged the goodwill behind Ryan's amendments but stated the government would not support them, preferring to determine implementation details through ongoing stakeholder engagement. Butler confirmed that the department was exploring options to address high specialist fees and administrative costs, noting that the bill already covered gap cover arrangements. Butler then moved nine government amendments to adjust the commencement date to 18 September 2026 and clarify how new premium approval requirements apply to existing and new products. These changes aimed to align with the next premium round and reduce administrative burdens for insurers regarding government-mandated coverage changes.