Private Health Insurance Costs Under Scrutiny as Premiums and Profits Soar

Recent data analysis has spotlighted a concerning trend in the private health insurance sector, prompting a significant outcry for a comprehensive review. A surge in premiums has been linked not just to rising healthcare costs but also to an increase in insurer profits and management expenses, igniting a fierce debate between health professionals and insurance providers. Rising health insurance premiums

A study by the Australian Medical Association (AMA) reveals that while net insurance profits soared by over 50% from June 2019 to June 2023, patient rebates only saw a modest rise of 3.6%. This discrepancy raises questions about the allocation of premium dollars, suggesting that a substantial portion is diverted towards enhancing profit margins and covering operational costs, rather than directly benefiting policyholders through medical treatments or hospital care.

The findings have fuelled a dispute highlighted in a recent ABC Four Corners report, which accused some providers of overcharging for medical procedures, a claim refuted by the insurers but supported by insider revelations. The AMA has criticized the private health sector for not meeting the expected standards of financial management and transparency, suggesting that premiums are increasingly used to cover costs unrelated to patient care. Rising health insurance premiums

In defence, industry representatives like Dr. Rachel David, CEO of Private Health Australia, argue that management expenses are rigorously monitored and justified, attributing rising costs to broader economic inflation affecting all sectors. However, this assertion does little to pacify concerns about the disproportionate growth in profits and administrative expenses compared to the relatively stagnant increase in patient benefits.

The debate extends to the efficiency of fund utilization, with the AMA advocating for insurers to return at least 90 cents per dollar of premiums to policyholders, a standard that currently stands at about 86 cents, significantly higher than general insurance returns but below the proposed benchmark.

Amidst these escalating tensions and conflicting reports, National Seniors Australia has called on the Federal Government to assign the Productivity Commission the task of conducting an in-depth inquiry. This investigation would scrutinize the continual rise in private health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket expenses, assess the value and scope of coverage, and propose necessary reforms to curtail costs and enhance service value, particularly for older Australians.

The proposed comprehensive review aims to halt the relentless cycle of premium hikes and restricted coverage that plagues policyholders, ensuring a fair, transparent, and efficient system that prioritizes patient care over profit. As stakeholders brace for a potential overhaul, the spotlight remains firmly on the need for a balanced and equitable approach to healthcare funding.

Supporters and concerned policyholders are encouraged to join the advocacy efforts by participating in National Seniors or contributing to the Health Costs campaign, as stakeholders push for a resolution that could redefine the landscape of private health insurance in Australia.

Time for action on a NSW Autism Strategy

STATE Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin says she welcomes the Australian Government’s recent release of the Draft NSW Autism Strategy.

Ms Saffin says “it provides the State and Territory governments with the opportunity to engage with the Draft National Autism Strategy.

“We need a NSW Autism Strategy and I have had discussions with the relevant Minister in the Minns Labor Government, Kate Washington,” Ms Saffin says.

“I raised the importance of an autism strategy in the NSW Parliament last year. South Australia is way ahead of us.  Now we have the Draft National Autism Strategy, we need to seize the momentum and get a New South Wales strategy to break down barriers for autistic children and adults and their families.”

President of the Northern Rivers Autism Association Micheal Lynch has teamed up with Business NSW Northern Rivers Regional Director Jane Laverty to co-host an Autism@Work business luncheon at the Ballina RSL Auditorium from noon today (Tuesday, 9 April).

The event, titled Embracing a Neurodiverse Workforce, celebrates Autism Awareness Month and guest speaker will be former dual-code international for rugby league and rugby union Mat Rogers.

Ms Saffin says she will be an apology as she is recovering from Covid.

“A panel of speakers for today’s event is sure to discuss the Draft National Autism Strategy,” Ms Saffin says.

“It is clear from the draft that the states and territories and Federal Government need to work together because the strategy covers polices across both levels of government.

“The states have primary responsibility for the key areas of education, health, justice and housing.

“It is the states that have responsibility for pre-schools for example, where children are at critical age for early intervention which can make a huge difference.

“This is an opportunity for National Cabinet to tackle the crossover of responsibilities and ensure that this is an effective, properly funded strategy without gaps for people to slip through.

“Being in a rural or regional area can add another layer of disadvantage, so it is important that people from this region give their feedback to the national strategy.”

For more information on the Draft National Autism Strategy and to give feedback, visit here.

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AI-Powered MedTech Breakthrough: CSIRO and Singular Health Unveil Revolutionary Spinal Vertebrae Segmentation Technology

A groundbreaking AI-powered medical technology, developed through collaboration between CSIRO‘s Data61 and Australian Medical Imaging Company Singular Health, swiftly segments spinal vertebrae with an impressive 95% accuracy rate within a mere two minutes. This innovation holds the promise of revolutionising surgical planning and facilitating the design of customised implants for medical professionals.

Traditionally, the segmentation of spinal vertebrae in computerised tomography (CT) scans has demanded extensive manual labour, involving countless hours of meticulous identification and markups. However, the advent of AI automation heralds a transformative shift in this arduous process, significantly reducing time and effort while ensuring exceptional segmentation precision and localisation accuracy, as elucidated by Dr. Dadong Wang, Research Lead at Data61.

Singular Health’s Executive Director of Innovation, Dr. Guan Tay, underscores the game-changing potential of this automated segmentation technology. By integrating AI-driven automation into the segmentation process, medical professionals will now only need to make minor adjustments and validate the software’s outputs. This semi-automated approach empowers surgeons and radiologists to fine-tune the results according to their interpretations, ensuring meticulous compliance with image analysis standards while substantially streamlining processing time.

The utilisation of artificial intelligence in medical imaging, particularly in radiology, stands poised to profoundly reshape workflow dynamics for radiologists.

Leveraging a comprehensive dataset comprising over 200 CT scans of labelled data, the Data61 team meticulously explored various AI models and pre-processing techniques to achieve precise instance segmentation, labelling, surface meshing, and spatial localisation of individual vertebrae.

Dr. Wang elaborates on the AI development process, highlighting the adaptation of deep learning-based instance segmentation methodologies such as nnUNET, SC-NET, and Dense-NET. These models were rigorously trained using the VerSe’2020 dataset, comprising 100 CT scans of spines from individuals spanning diverse age groups and genders. Subsequently, the trained models underwent rigorous testing on an additional 100 CT scans, generating segmented labels of the spine, individual vertebrae, spatial coordinates, and vertebra identification.

The integration of this cutting-edge technology into Singular Health’s MedVR software represents a significant milestone, offering a transformative solution for hospitals, clinicians, educational institutions, and universities alike. This milestone achievement was made possible through the CSIRO Kick–Start initiative, which extends funding and support to innovative Australian start-ups and small businesses, granting access to CSIRO’s unparalleled research and development (R&D) expertise and capabilities.

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