Young people dropping private health hurts insurers most, not public hospitals

Editor's note

It’s no secret young people are continuing to drop their private health insurance. Data published by the private health insurance regulator yesterday attest to this trend. The fact is we’re having to pay more and more, and for most of us the benefits sit there largely unused.

We often hear that the large number of people dropping their private health insurance is going to put extra pressure on hospitals and the public health system. But, as Stephen Duckett writes today, these claims don’t stack up.

The decline is a bigger problem for the private health insurance industry than it will be for the public health system. In warning us the public system is going to suffer, the industry is actually looking to bolster its own case for more government handouts.

Phoebe Roth

Deputy Editor, Health+Medicine

Top stories

Shutterstock

Young people dropping private health hurts insurers most, not public hospitals

Stephen Duckett, Grattan Institute

New private health insurance data show young people are continuing to drop their cover. But the industry's argument a youth exodus will put pressure on public hospitals isn't necessarily right.

State Library Victoria

Vale Holden: how America’s General Motors sold us the Australian dream

Jack Fahey, La Trobe University

Thanks to savvy public relations, General Motors inserted itself at the heart of culture in mid-century Australia. But dreams don't last forever.

Shutterstock

Here are 5 practical ways trees can help us survive climate change

Gregory Moore, University of Melbourne

In a warming world, trees can play a major role in keeping cities and your home cool. If you plan it right, they can even save you money and protect your home from bushfires.

Shutterstock

Coronavirus is killing Australia’s lobster export market

Eva Plaganyi, CSIRO; Nicole Murphy, CSIRO; Roy Aijun Deng, CSIRO; Sean Pascoe, CSIRO; Trevor Hutton, CSIRO

The abrupt downturn in seafood consumption in China is wreaking havoc on the traditional fishers of the Torres Strait and other Australian fishing communities

Education
Should we ban junk food in schools? We asked five experts Sasha Petrova, The Conversation; Madeleine Rojahn, The Conversation We asked five experts if there should be a nation-wide ban on junk food in schools. Four out of five said yes.

Arts + Culture
Podcast series Oz Gothic breathes new life into Australian gothic storytelling Suzie Gibson, Charles Sturt University Australia has a long history of gothic storytelling in literature and cinema. A new podcast series shows how ordinary life can have an edge of malice.

Environment + Energy
These plants and animals are now flourishing as life creeps back after bushfires Kathryn Teare Ada Lambert, University of New England First come the beetles, then the birds: how nature is surviving, and thriving, after a summer of fires.

Politics + Society

‘You can have both higher super and higher wages’: Albanese

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

In a speech on older Australians released ahead of its Wednesday delivery, Anthony Albanese claims with economic growth and productivity Australians could see higher super and higher wages.
Why the global battle over Huawei could prove more disruptive than Trump’s trade war with China

Tony Walker, La Trobe University

Differences among the 'Five Eyes' over the tech company's role in building 5G networks pose a threat to the long-standing Western consensus about how to manage relations with China.
Court ruling against ABC highlights the enormous deficiency in laws protecting journalists’ sources

Denis Muller, University of Melbourne

In dismissing the case, Justice Wendy Abraham drew attention to a huge gap in the protection of journalists’ sources under 'shield laws', which don't apply to most search warrants.

Cities
No need to give up on crowded cities – we can make density so much better Thami Croeser, RMIT University; Lucy Gunn, RMIT University The neighbourhoods of Paris, Barcelona and Amsterdam with densities 3-5 times those of Melbourne and Sydney offer an insight into how we could transform our cities for the better.

Health + Medicine
Yes, the system needs to be better. But here’s how to ensure your child can access the NDIS if they need it Karen R Fisher, UNSW; Nirosha Boaden, UNSW It starts with recognising your child needs support. Then, you have to prove they are eligible for it. Finally, you have to find the appropriate support. There's help available along the way.