With the percentage of Australians between the ages of 20 to 39 with private health insurance falling from 40% to 34% over the past five years, and older Australians claiming more than ever, private health insurance providers have demanded government subsidies to keep the industry viable.
However, the health program director at the Grattan Institute, Stephen Duckett, has debunked the need for more public funding:
The private health insurance industry likes to warn Australians of a doomsday scenario. It claims that a decline in private health insurance will lead to a massive blow-out in public hospital waiting times.
