New Premium Calculation Method for the Private Health Insurance Insurer Board
Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026
House of Representatives
Senate
Assent
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
The Debate
What different members said when this bill was debated:
Mark Butler ALP
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026 will address intergenerational inequity, simplify, and better target the rebate for private health insurance premiums. Currently, the government provides a rebate that supports Australians to take up and to hold private health insurance.”
“It is interesting that I am rising to speak on the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026 with the shadow minister and the minister for regional health in the chamber at the table.”
Mike Freelander ALP
“I’ve worked in the healthcare system for over half a century. The Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026 is about equitable access to health care, as really all of the government’s healthcare policies are, and it’s a very important bill. I should point out also that I’m affected by this bill. I’m well over the age of 65.”
Andrew Wallace LNP
“From the outset, I want to say that I oppose the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026 because there is nothing modern about making health care more expensive for older Australians.”
Ms ROBERTS
“The incorporated speech read as follows— I would like to speak in support of the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026. This is a practical and responsible reform.”
Simon Kennedy LIB
“Cost of living isn’t a problem. We do not have a cost-of-living problem in this country at all. What we have is an economic mismanagement problem. Cost of living, sadly, is just a symptom of the chronic poor economic management of this Labor government. And what are we seeing with this poor economic management?”
Jo Briskey ALP
“In 2004, the Howard government looked at the private health insurance rebate and made it bigger—not for everyone, of course, but for Australians aged 65 and over and for them alone. It was an election year. Our economy was riding a global resources boom and revenue was arriving faster than the government of the day knew what to do with it. In weather like that, you never have to choose.”
Melissa McIntosh LIB
“I rise to speak on the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026. Let me be clear from the outset: the coalition opposes this bill. We oppose it because, for all the language about modernising, this bill does one thing. It cuts the private health insurance rebate for older Australians.”
Dan Repacholi ALP
“Let’s not beat around the bush. Let’s be up front about what the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill actually does. It makes a difficult but necessary choice about where taxpayers’ money can do the most good.”
Anne Webster NAT
“I rise to speak about the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026. But I want to start with some quotes from people in my electorate who have written to me. Peter, who’s a pensioner from Avoca, has said: As an age pensioner, I want to say how annoying this ”intergenerational” rubbish is.”
Steve Georganas ALP
“It gives me great pleasure to stand here to talk about health policy, especially from this side of the House, because I’m very proud of Labor’s record when it comes to health. We know that we are the party of Medicare, while they on the other side tried to destroy it. It’s interesting listening to the previous member speak about certain promises that were made et cetera.”
Dr RYAN
“This is punching down on vulnerable Australians rather than finding savings in legitimate places in the budget. I’m proposing that the government carves out recipients of the age pension from this bill if it’s serious about delivering on Australian values. I support funding aged care. I support reforming the private health insurance system.”
Ms McKENZIE
“Imagine paying for private health insurance for 40 years, 50 years, even 60 years only for the government to wait until you really need it and then smash your ability to hold on to it. That is exactly what the Albanese Labor government is proposing to do to older Australians with this legislation, the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026.”
Leon Rebello LNP
“This bill that we are asked to debate right now, the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026, goes to the essence of the kind of country that we want to be, because we have a choice. The government has a choice, and it’s still not too late for them to make the right choice.”
Dan Tehan LIB
“I support what the previous member has said. There is just no justification for this—none whatsoever. It is hard to believe that the Albanese Labor government would want to do this to 1.5 million pensioners. Mr Pasin: Like veterans. Mr TEHAN: It is! It’s sort of similar to taking $750 million off our veterans, who have served us so well.”
Tony Pasin LIB
“This is probably one of the most mean-spirited approaches to public policy that I’ve seen in my time in this House. Let’s be clear. We heard from the member for Wannon. We’re talking about 1.”
Ms PRICE
“I rise to speak on the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026 and state my absolute opposition to the changes from the outset. These changes will have very real consequences for senior Australians, particularly for those living on fixed incomes. At the centre of this is a debate about choice, and it is a debate about fairness for 1.”
Andrew Willcox LNP
“Getting older costs more—more prescriptions, more specialist appointments, more scans, more procedures and very often more health care. Yet the government has said that, from 1 April next year, it will scrap the additional private health insurance rebate currently available to Australians aged 65 and over.”
Darren Chester NAT
“It’s a pleasure to join this debate, the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026, after my great friend and colleague the member for Dawson.”
Andrew Hastie LIB
“Australians expect a basic bargain from their country: work hard, pay your taxes, save what you can and take responsibility for yourself and for your family, and, if you do those things, the government shouldn’t punish you for it. But that’s exactly what the Albanese Labor government is doing to older Australians. People in my community are telling me life is getting harder. Power bills are up.”
Dai Le IND
“The government frames the reforms in the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026 as a matter of intergenerational equity and simplification of our aged-care system. If that is truly the outcome, then I welcome it. But, in its current form, I have serious doubts about that.”
Andrew Gee IND
“Seniors across the electorate of Calare are absolutely outraged by these cruel and unnecessary cuts. These cuts are going to slash private health insurance rebates for Australians over 65—some of our most vulnerable Australians. The outrage has come from right across the Central West of New South Wales. People are outraged because there is no mandate for these cuts.”
Alison Penfold NAT
“I rise to speak on the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026. I want to start with the title of this bill because I find it offensive, as so many other older Australians do. ’Modernising the private health insurance rebate’—there’s nothing modern about making older Australians pay more for their health care.”
Alex Hawke LIB
“It’s a privilege to follow the passionate contribution from the member for Lyne on this matter.”
Kevin Hogan NAT
“I rise to speak against the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026. Government is about choices. I acknowledge federal governments, state governments, governments across the world and local councils have limitations and stretches on budgets, on what they can afford to pay and on what benefits they can afford to support.”
“This bill, the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026, is friendless. If you look at the speaking list since the bill was introduced into this parliament, just 13 of the 94 members of the government have been prepared or had the courage to come forward and try and defend it.”
Julian Leeser LIB
“Deputy Speaker Buchholz, it’s an honour to be in your presence, and it’s an honour to follow my friend the member for Maranoa, who made a very passionate speech, as did the member for Page before him, the member for Mitchell before him and the member for Lyne before him. We’ve had a series of very good contributions across the last hour from coalition members on these issues.”
Ms BELL
“I rise today to speak on the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026—or so it’s called. If I were to rename this bill, I would call it a thwack to the over-65s in my community and around the country, who have saved and worked their whole lives.”
Colin Boyce LNP
“Older Australians are facing another very real financial hit under this Labor government. This one will be felt right across the country, including by older Australians in regional communities that I represent in Central Queensland. The Albanese government wants to remove the higher private health insurance rebate for Australians aged 65 and over. Let’s be clear about what this actually means.”
Zali Steggall IND
“I rise to speak on the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026. I should say at the outset that I do have serious concerns about the consequences of these changes for older Australians and our hospital systems, which are already under strain, and the broader health implications.”
Kate Chaney IND
“I rise to speak on the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026. This bill amends the Private Health Insurance Act 2007 to remove the higher rebate currently paid to policyholders aged 65 and over.”
Allegra Spender IND
“I rise to speak on the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026. Australia’s healthcare system is the envy of the world. That’s not hyperbole. I say that as someone who’s worked in the UK’s NHS for several years. Australia runs a high-quality public health system alongside an affordable private system.”
Cameron Caldwell LNP
“I rise today to speak on the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026. Of course, as is typical, it’s a very cleverly titled bill presented in this place by the Labor government which completely avoids the fact that what it’s really doing is taking much-needed assistance away from older Australians under the guise of modernisation. It’s not.”
Nita Green ALP
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The speech read as follows— The Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026 will address intergenerational inequity, simplify, and better target the rebate for private health insurance premiums.”