Some demographic issues affecting private health insurance

Brian Hanning
2004 Australian Health Review  
There will be significant changes in the demography of persons with Private Health Insurance (PHI). Two methods of projecting PHI coverage are discussed in this paper. The first assumes the only factors affecting PHI coverage are demographic change and mortality, and facilitates comparisons between actual and projected PHI coverage. The second projects the percentage of the population insured in each five year age cohort, and makes allowance for changes in PHI coverage due to all factors.
more » ... aphic change will increase Registered Health Benefit Organization (RHBO) premiums by 1.7% per annum. The role of these projections in analysing the effect of future premium increases on PHI retention rates is also discussed.
doi:10.1071/ah042710016 pmid:15362293 fatcat:d5hir6oovbaufglufwrk3dnwje