What has changed
The Federal Government has made amendments to three existing sets of private health insurance rules under the Private Health Insurance Act 2007, administered by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. The amending instrument is the Private Health Insurance Legislation Amendment Rules (No. 5) 2026.
Rules affected
- Private Health Insurance (Benefit Requirements) Rules 2011
- Private Health Insurance (Complying Product) Rules 2015
- Private Health Insurance (Health Insurance Business) Rules 2018
Areas covered by the amendments
The amendments cover three specific areas:
- Minimum accommodation benefits - changes to the Private Health Insurance (Benefit Requirements) Rules 2011
- Nursing-home type patient contributions - changes to the relevant rules governing these contributions
- Second-tier application fees - changes to the Private Health Insurance (Health Insurance Business) Rules 2018
The source document does not specify the dollar amounts of the changes to accommodation benefits, patient contributions, or application fees.
Dates
- In force: 26 June 2026
- Expires: 15 September 2026
Key actions
- Private health insurers and those advising them can review the amended rules at https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026L00857 to check how the changes to minimum accommodation benefits, nursing-home type patient contributions, and second-tier application fees affect their products.
- Operators of complying health insurance products can check whether those products remain compliant under the updated Private Health Insurance (Complying Product) Rules 2015 before 15 September 2026, when this instrument expires.
- Applicants for second-tier health insurer status can check the updated fee under the Private Health Insurance (Health Insurance Business) Rules 2018 at https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026L00857.
This is a plain-English summary for information only, not legal or compliance advice. Always check the official source or consult a qualified professional.