Posted by Michael Wonder on 23 Oct 2018
$6.8 billion ‘high claim’ health cost sparks private insurer outcry
23 October 2018 - Australia’s private health funds paid $6.82 billion in “high claims” in one year, prompting renewed concerns among insurers about the rising cost of some medical devices that they say is fuelling a jump in benefits paid.
A new report by Private Healthcare Australia has revealed data on what health funds paid for individual claims in 2017 where the benefit exceeded $10,000. The $6.82 billion figure rose 6.6% on the previous year.
The report revealed that in 2017, health insurers paid out on 332,331 “high claims”. The highest benefit paid was $699,582 for the treatment of a patient with viral encephalitis.
