Bed charges to hit cost of health insurance

As private health insurers ring in the new year with a series of premium hikes, customers can expect further hardship in 2013 under government plans to charge insurers for private patients who use public hospital beds.

From today, Laya Healthcare, which has approximately 400,000 customers, will raise premiums across a number of schemes in a series of increases ranging from 4% to 13%.

Aviva Health, which has around 18% of the market, will increase the price of six plans today from 4%-30%. These prices will apply to all new and renewing customers. However Aviva is also set to reduce prices across three plans today.