Publication: The Sydney Morning Herald
Date: 24 November 2010
Section: Breaking News National
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Danny Rose
More than 22,000 different policies are offered by private health insurers in Australia but the job of finding the right one has just become less painful.
The Office of the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman is on Wednesday launching its retooled website, with the promise it is now "easier than ever" to compare the different policy offerings.
"To get the best out of private health insurance, consumers need access to the best information," ombudsman Samantha Gavel said.
"It is for this reason that for the past twelve months, my office has focused on improving information and advice for consumers about private health insurance.
"The centrepiece of this work has been the update of the consumer website (www.privatehealth.gov.au)."
The redeveloped website lists all policies on offer from the 37 private health insurers in the country.
Users can search, for free, the array of different cover options offered in their state and choose what suits their or their family's health needs and budget.
The health insurance industry is required by law to routinely submit any changes made to their policies, ensuring the information on the website is up to date.
The new site went live in July, and recent users were surveyed for their response to the new look and search options.
"Feedback received thus far on both 'Ease of Use' and 'Location of Information' has improved considerably," Ms Gavel said.
"... What my office consistently finds is that private health insurance is all too often out of sight out of mind for consumers until they get sick.
"The key to better outcomes in private health insurance for consumers and insurers is greater awareness and better access to information."
More than 10 million Australians now have private hospital cover.
The redeveloped website, to be officially launched at an event in Sydney, is found online at www.privatehealth.gov.au.
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