Health Legislation Amendment (Improving Choice and Transparency for Private Health Consumers) Bill 2026; Second Reading

Summary

Two main changes will help Australians make better choices about private health care. First, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing will be allowed to publish doctors' fees and likely out-of-pocket costs on a website called the Medical Costs Finder, using data from Medicare and insurance companies — without needing doctors to voluntarily share this information. Second, private health insurers will need government approval before launching new insurance products or making significant changes to existing ones. These changes amend the Health Insurance Act 1973 and the Private Health Insurance Act 2007 to address a real problem: over 800,000 Australians are skipping specialist care each year because they don't know the costs upfront, and only a tiny fraction of doctors and insurers have voluntarily shared pricing information so far.

What happens at this stage

The main debate on whether the chamber supports the broad purpose of the bill. Members speak to its overall merits and concerns rather than the fine print. The government outlines its policy intentions; the opposition and crossbench put their case. This is the stage that determines whether the bill proceeds at all.

Next: Consideration in Detail (House) or Committee of the Whole (Senate), where the bill is examined clause by clause