Skip to Main Content

2026 Submissions

The Australian Private Hospitals Association (APHA) represents members' views through a variety of submissions to governments and reviews impacting the sector...

21st August 2026
Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026 [PDF 247.0 kb]
APHA's submission to the Senate Community Affairs Committee detailing the Federal Government's flawed approach and analysis for stripping the higher Private Health Insurance Rebate from older Australians aged 65+.
13th August 2026
Private Health Sector Reforms: Consultation Paper 1 [PDF 550.6 kb]
The APHA welcomes this tranche of proposed reforms. It reflects areas the Association raised with government four years ago. The areas canvassed have the opportunity to make a positive difference for insured Australians, patients and the private hospitals that treat them. Though they do not address the viability crisis crippling the sector as health insurers pocket record profits while patients and hospitals suffer gaps in cover and payments.
7th August 2026
Informed Financial Consent [PDF 181.0 kb]
The APHA's response to federal government considerations on enforcing informed financial consent. The APHA agrees with the intent, however, private hospitals cannot be responsible for the fees of parties they have no control over - i.e. surgeons, specialists, anesthetists, so there are pitfalls to be avoided.
20th July 2026
Honeysuckle Health Pty Limited and nib
health funds Limited – application for
authorisation (revocation and
substitution) [PDF 332.8 kb]
APHA has lodged a submission with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) opposing Honeysuckle Health and nib's application to continue operating a collective hospital buying group. The submission argues that the proposal would further concentrate insurer bargaining power, reduce competition, undermine patient choice and clinical independence, and place additional financial pressure on Australia's already struggling private hospital sector. APHA urges the ACCC to reject the application, or, if authorisation is granted, impose strict conditions to protect competition, transparency and patient outcomes.
29th June 2026
APHA Targeted Consultation Response on IV Fluid Guidance June 2026 [PDF 192.4 kb]
APHA is broadly supportive of the draft guidance and its objectives. The documents are clinically sound, well structured, and provide a useful national reference point for safe, appropriate and sustainable IV fluid management. APHA's feedback is directed to ensuring the final guidance is practical for private hospital settings and clearly reflects the distinction between organisational systems that support safe care and the clinical judgement and accountability of treating clinicians. Addressing the matters raised in this submission would strengthen the guidance and assist its consistent implementation across the private hospital sector.
22nd June 2026
APHA PHI Sunsetting Submission June 2026 [PDF 235.6 kb]
APHA submits that the remaking of the sunsetting PHI instruments is an important opportunity to correct longstanding structural deficiencies that have disadvantaged private hospitals. A simple administrative remake without substantive reform is inadequate. The specific amendments recommended in this submission are grounded in the actual text of the instruments as currently in force, and are designed to address real operational and financial impacts on private hospitals.
16th June 2026
APHA Surgical Guides and Bio-models Post-Listing Review Draft Report Consultation Submission [PDF 173.8 kb]
The APHA document is intended to provide feedback on the Department of Health, Disability, and Ageing's draft report on the surgical guides and bio-models post-listing review.
30th January 2026
2026 Federal Budget Submission [PDF 751.2 kb]
The APHA's 2026 Federal Budget Submission canvasses key reform initiatives, as well as areas to repair the viability of private hospitals left to languish at the hands of unscrupulous and profiteering health insurance companies...