Younger Australians increasingly taking out private health insurance despite cost of living pressures

The Australian Medical Association Private Health Insurance Report Card found the proportion of people with hospital insurance rising from 43.6% in June 2020 to 45.2% by June 2022. Photograph: Carly Earl/The Guardian

Despite rising cost of living pressures, younger, healthier people are increasingly taking out private health insurance, a report published on Tuesday found, in a trend one health policy expert described as “not rational”.

The report also found a variation of up to $700 in rebates paid to patients of different funds undergoing the same procedure performed by the same doctor in the same hospital.