Overview
The Health Legislation Amendment (Improving Choice and Transparency for Private Health Consumers) Act 2026 (No. 90, 2026) received royal assent on 18 September 2026 and is now in force. The Act is administered by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
What the Act amends
The Act amends three existing pieces of legislation:
- Health Insurance Act 1973
- Private Health Insurance Act 2007
- National Health Act 1953
What the Act covers
Schedule 1 - Transparency and information sharing
Schedule 1 introduces transparency by default rules in the private health insurance sector. It also authorises information sharing between relevant bodies in that sector.
Schedule 2 - Premium regulation
Schedule 2 introduces new rules regulating private health insurance premiums.
The source does not specify exact commencement dates for individual schedules, nor does it detail what the transparency, information sharing, or premium regulation changes require in practice.
Key actions
- Review the full Act at legislation.gov.au/C2026A00090 to understand the new obligations under Schedule 1 and Schedule 2.
- Contact the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing for guidance on compliance requirements via health.gov.au.
- Set up a legislation alert on the Federal Register of Legislation at legislation.gov.au to receive notifications if supporting rules or regulations are made under this Act.
This is a plain-English summary for information only, not legal or compliance advice. Always check the official source or consult a qualified professional.