Posted by Michael Wonder on 07 Feb 2017
Economists say health insurance premium hikes well above CPI are unwarranted
7 February 2017 - Most economists believe that health insurance premium hikes that are well over the inflation rate can't be justified, a survey shows.
In the lead-up to the federal government's decision on what sort of premium increase it should allow, a survey has found 12 out of 18 economists and economic experts believe hikes well in excess of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 1.4% are "unwarranted".
The 18 respondents, including economists Saul Eslake and Shane Oliver, were part of a broader, monthly survey involving 32 economists and economic experts by comparison website Finder.
