<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="http://9news.com.au/australia" rel="" target="" title="Australians"><span>Australians</span></a><span> are about to be hit with the largest average price hike to </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/health-insurance" rel="" target="" title="private health cover"><span>private health cover</span></a><span> since 2017, prompting warnings some families will be pushed to the limit.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="http://9news.com.au/health" rel="" target="" title="Health"><span>Health</span></a><span> Minister Mark Butler today approved a 4.41 per cent average premium increase from April 1, saying it reflected increasing wage bills and helped keep private </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/hospitals" rel="" target="" title="hospitals"><span>hospitals</span></a><span> viable.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The government understands the pressure health insurance premium changes put on Australians and decisions about private health insurance premiums must put consumers first," he said.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/private-health-insurance-mistake-costing-millions-australians-828-dollars-a-year/2976426f-a24e-4d12-8668-4a1ab05febb2" rel="" target="" title="The health insurance mistake costing Aussies $828 a year"><strong><span>The health insurance mistake costing Aussies $828 a year</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This premium round has been guided by my commitment to maintain the value of private health insurance for Australians, while making sure the sector plays its part in supporting private hospitals facing rising costs and significant challenges."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A Canstar analysis found the average earner with gold cover would see their premiums jump $167 a year, while the average family would have to stump up an extra $330.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The figure is only the average industry increase. Individual insurers were each granted their own increases.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/health-insurance-2026-biggest-average-premium-hike-since-2017-to-push-many-households-to-the-edge/e1206a6b-0f7b-44ad-b415-e6d6bf48be17" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>For-profit providers AIA, NIB and Medibank were all granted increases above 5 per cent while several not-for-profits kept their rises below 3 per cent and GMHBA premiums were set to rise only 1.98 per cent.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Canstar said insurers could also hike premiums by different amounts depending on the coverage type. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The cost of an individual gold policy rose by an average of 11.6 per cent between March and April last year when the approved average was just 3.73 per cent, the financial comparison site said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/jeffrey-epstein-files-hillary-clinton-accuses-donald-trump-administration-of-coverup-over-its-handling-of-documents/8d2ee7d6-1521-48c1-b200-fc59c84cc89c"><strong><span>Hillary Clinton's defiant Epstein claim about herself and husband</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The highest government-approved price hike since 2017 is not what the doctor ordered for households battling cost-of-living pressures," data insights director Sally Tindall said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This 4.41 per cent price hike will go down like foul-tasting medicine for Australians already juggling higher mortgage repayments, electricity and grocery bills.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"While the average hike is sitting at 4.41 per cent, for those with a high-level of cover, know your premium increase could be far more severe."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Money.com.au general manager of health insurance Chris Whitelaw urged policyholders to reassess their cover needs and compare policies.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"A rise of this size will push many households to the edge," he said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/woman-charged-after-allegedly-threatening-bystanders-with-a-knife-central-coast/81c7bd1c-713a-4695-98a5-c24e3ce3f9eb" rel="" target="" title=""><strong><span>Terror as woman allegedly rampages in shopping centre</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Australians are being asked to absorb another steep increase at a time when families are already making tough trade-offs between essential expenses."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Experts suggested switching to a comparable policy within the same tier or even paying the full annual amount before April 1 to mitigate or delay the increase.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Private Healthcare Australia chief executive Dr Rachel David said health funds were trying to balance affordability with rising costs.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"More people are using their health insurance for high-cost hospital care such as joint replacements and cancer treatment, and the cost of delivering care continues to rise. This premium increase reflects those realities," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If health funds could keep premiums the same without jeopardising their ability to pay claims, they would. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The industry is acutely aware of how tough many Australians are doing it right now."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank" title=""><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>