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Commonwealth Ombudsman PrivateHealth.gov.au

PrivateHealth.gov.au is an Australian Government initiative, managed by the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman.

To allow for easier comparison of health insurance products, all Australian health insurers are required by law to create a Private Health Information Statement for each of their products. This website provides the PHIS for every health insurance policy available from every registered health insurer.

PrivateHealth.gov.au also provides a wealth of information on private health insurance in Australia, a list of registered health insurers and the ability to find policies and compare what is covered.

Vision and mission

  • The Commonwealth Ombudsman provides assurance that the Australian Government entities and prescribed private sector organisations the Commonwealth Ombudsman oversights, act with integrity and treat people fairly.
  • They also influence enduring systemic improvement in public administration in Australia by promoting best practise in complaint handling.

How PrivateHealth.gov.au can help

The Commonwealth Ombudsman protects the interests of private health insurance consumers. They carry out this role in many ways, including:

  • resolving complaints through their independent complaint handling service
  • identifying underlying problems of private health insurers or health care providers
  • providing advice to government and industry about issues affecting consumers in relation to private health insurance
  • providing advice and recommendations to government and industry about private health insurance, including the performance of the sector and the nature of complaints
  • managing PrivateHealth.gov.au, Australia’s leading source of independent information about private health insurance for consumers.

Please note:

  • Complaints must be about a health insurance arrangement.
  • They cannot take complaints about the quality of service or treatment provided by a health professional or a hospital. These complaints should be directed to the health care complaints body for your state or territory.
  • Their service is free to consumers. They are independent and impartial. They do not represent consumers, insurers, hospitals or health services.

Information lines / help lines

  • If you have a query relating to PrivateHealth.gov.au or private health insurance in general you can contact the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman using Ask a question.
  • If you're unable to complete the online form, you can also contact them by phone on 1300 737 299 (local call cost). Their phone service operates 10:30am to 3:00pm (AET) Monday to Friday.

Recommended links

This information was originally published on healthdirect - Commonwealth Ombudsman - PrivateHealth.gov.au.

Last reviewed: April 2022

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