Health Insurance

No-gap and known-gap arrangements can reduce surprise bills for hospital care, but they don’t cover everything and may limit which doctors you can see without extra costs. Here’s how they work, where gaps still appear, and what to check before booking a procedure.

Cancer rates have been rising among people ages 15 to 39, and research reviewing nearly 470,000 U.S. patients suggests insurance status is closely tied to stage at diagnosis, access to treatment options such as clinical trials, and overall survival. Private insurance is consistently associated with better outcomes than Medicaid or no insurance, highlighting how coverage can influence care pathways beyond simply paying medical bills.

A Nevada Division of Insurance report says at least 16 carriers likely put more hurdles in front of mental health and substance-use treatment than physical care. Regulators stress the findings begin a multi-year process that could lead to enforcement, while lawmakers and advocates argue the disparities worsen access in a state already struggling with provider shortages.

Medicaid enrollment climbed to a record high during the pandemic under a continuous coverage policy, then fell sharply once states restarted eligibility checks. Data from the “Great Unwinding” show that administrative processes—especially paperwork and automatic renewals—played a major role in who stayed covered, with new federal requirements set to make state implementation even more consequential.

An analysis of 2019 spending suggests private health insurance can reduce public health costs enough to outweigh the combined cost of premium rebates and forgone Medicare Levy Surcharge revenue—by about $554 per subsidised person each year on average. The biggest offsets appear among older people, prompting debate about whether rebates should be better targeted, including through risk-adjusted subsidies.

Different insurance products treat health history and genetic information in different ways. With new rules set to limit how life insurers use predictive genetic test results, it’s important to understand what you must disclose, what insurers can consider, and where uncertainty remains—especially for travel and private health cover.

Private health insurance premiums will rise by an average of 4.41% from April 1, affecting about 15 million Australians. The increase is the largest in nine years and exceeds recent inflation, prompting questions about how premium rises are approved and whether higher costs are justified given insurers’ profitability and rising benefit payouts.

Australia’s biggest health funds are well known, but market share is only one part of choosing cover. This guide explains open vs restricted membership, for-profit vs not-for-profit structures, portability rules on waiting periods, and why comparing benefits can matter more than brand size.

Australia’s health insurance market is dominated by five large funds. Here’s a practical, neutral guide to how the biggest insurers compare on complaints ratings, out-of-pocket “gap” costs, discounts and key family policy rules—plus what to ask before you choose.

Home and contents insurance often excludes business activities, leaving freelancers and small business owners exposed if something goes wrong. This guide explains key covers—Public Liability, Product Liability and Professional Indemnity—using practical scenarios to show how business insurance can protect your assets, income and reputation.