A surge in young people taking up private health insurance drove membership to a record high in the September quarter, despite a cost-of-living crisis and rising out-of-pocket costs that have been pushing patients into the public sector.
Official data released on Thursday showed more than 15 million Australians now have private health cover. This followed a 5 per cent jump in Australians aged in their 20s taking out hospital cover in the quarter, which analysts partly attributed to more people using it for mental health treatment.
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Michael Smith is the Health Editor for The Australian Financial Review. He is based in Sydney. Connect with Michael on Twitter. Email Michael at michael.smith@afr.com
