Catholic-operated private hospitals want a major shake-up of the way they negotiate funding deals with health insurers, in an escalation of tensions between the two sides.
Not-for-profit hospital operators want to overhaul how they negotiate controversial funding deals with health insurers, including the right to collectively boycott Australia’s five largest health insurers, as private hospitals fight to ensure their survival., has asked the competition regulator to approve a new provision that would stop Medibank Private, Bupa, NIB, HCF and HBF Health from negotiating individual funding contracts with hospitals while collective talks are under way.
“This proposal is necessary to level the playing field because the bargaining power of private health insurers has been growing for several years, resulting in terms that are extremely challenging and place enormous financial pressure on the day-to-day operations of not-for-profit private hospitals,” Alex Lynch, Catholic Health Australia’s director of public health, toldwith the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission last week as part of a submission to renew an existing ten-year deal...
Soaring costs, rising wages and tanking patient numbers since the COVID-19 pandemic have led many of the country’s 650 private hospitals to lose money. Health Minister Mark Butler has launched a review of the sector with findings due next month. Brookfield-backed hospital giant Healthscope, which is losing money, has been particularly vocal behind the scenes in putting pressure on insurers. Catholic Health, whose members also include St John of God, Mater, Cabrini Health and Calvary, represents a major part of the private sector.
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