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BUPA

January

Bupa is the latest health insurer to bow to pressure and increase its funding to struggling private hospital operator Healthscope.

Healthscope and Bupa avert funding crisis with new deal

The new agreement means hundreds of thousands of patients will be spared from paying higher hospital costs.

  • Michael Smith
Health insurers are under growing pressure to help private hospitals resolve their financial challenges. The Health Department has proposed expanding maternity cover to lower tier policyholders.

Health insurers baulk at Labor pitch to expand maternity cover

Changes floated by the Health Department include forcing funds to pay more for hospital-in-the-home programs to take pressure off private hospitals.

  • Michael Smith

December 2024

John Fawkner Hospital in Melbourne is one of the Healthscope-owned facilities that will charge Bupa customers more for procedures.

Bupa offers Healthscope doctors payments to switch hospitals

The health insurer giant is offering Healthscope doctors up to $500 per patient if they move to another hospital.

  • Michael Smith
Health Minister Mark Butler says health insurers are exploiting a loophole to increase premiums.

Health insurers tricking members with secret premium rises: Labor

Health Minister Mark Butler says insurers are exploiting a loophole that allows them to charge hundreds more by replacing products with more expensive new ones.

  • Michael Smith
The AMA warns insurance companies have too much say over at-home treatment.

Doctors say health insurers have too much control over home care

The AMA is warning that Australia is at risk of adopting “US-style managed care” where insurance companies call all the shots.

  • Michael Smith
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NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey says insurers will return $140 million to the public health system by paying higher room rates.

Insurers warn of premium hikes after losing NSW bed rate battle

Private health insurers have caved to pressure from the Minns government to pay higher hospital bed rates following a protracted campaign.

  • Michael Smith

November 2024

Health insurers warn of closures without 6pc premium hike

Health funds have asked Labor to allow big premium rises as the amount they charge policyholders is not keeping pace with healthcare inflation.

  • Michael Smith
Rachel David Private Healthcare Australia CEO at The Charles Restaurant, Sydney CBD.

The woman defending the industry everyone loves to hate

Private health insurers are being derided all around, but their chief lobbyist, Rachel David, insists they make our medical system the envy of the Americans and British.

  • Michael Smith
Shareholders have approved NIB Health Insurance CEO Mark Fitzgibbon’s pay increase, but hospitals want a bigger share of insurers’ profits.

Health insurer salaries in the spotlight as premiums climb

The salaries of Australia’s big health insurance bosses are rising with their profits.

  • Michael Smith
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler says private hospitals must sort out their own mess.

Private hospitals warn of more closures after Labor refuses bailout

Health Minister Mark Butler has told struggling private hospital operators to sort out their own problems and resolve differences with insurers.

  • Michael Smith

October 2024

Healthscope CEO Greg Horan said he had no choice but to charge extra patient fees for Bupa members to keep hospitals viable.

Healthscope vows to terminate Bupa deal if it does not accept fees

Healthscope has written to Bupa asking it to amend its contract to let it slug members with extra hospital fees.

  • Michael Smith
Private hospitals says they are under considerable financial pain, as they pay for higher wages and bigger medical expenses.

Healthscope to slug Bupa members $100 extra for hospital stays

Six million Australian health fund members will be forced to pay higher charges to use the services of the country’s second-largest private hospital group.

  • Michael Smith
NIB Holdings chief executive Mark Fitzgibbon is facing more competition as customers tighten their belts.

Health insurers have landed in a world of pain, political or otherwise

They’re under fire from parliamentarians and hospitals for making too much profit, and yet are caught in a customer land grab that is shaving away profits.

  • Michael Smith

September 2024

Private hospitals have been pushing for insurers to pick up more of the funding. Healthscope has succeeded in striking a deal with three major insurers.

Healthscope forces big insurers to cough up to repair its profits

Medibank Private, NIB and HCF have agreed to out-of-cycle funding payments in the “tens of millions of dollars” for the Brookfield-owned hospital group.

  • Michael Smith

February 2024

Nick Stone, chief executive of Bupa APAC, acknowledges start-ups need freedom from large corporate processes.

Bupa becomes a venture capital player with $20m fund

Bupa Asia Pacific has raised funds to try and make the corporate VC model work, by backing the next generation of health tech start-ups.

  • Jessica Sier
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July 2023

Bupa names new local chief executive

Nick Stone has been tapped to lead Bupa Asia Pacific, succeeding long-serving chief executive Hisham El-Ansary who stepped down last year after 15 years with the healthcare group.

  • Carrie LaFrenz

November 2022

Bupa Australia CEO Hisham El-Ansary will step down in March next year from the top job.

Bupa boss Hisham El-Ansary to step down

After nearly 15 years with the heath insurance and aged care giant, it was time to move on, says the outgoing CEO.

  • Carrie LaFrenz

September 2022

Emily Amos is the new MD of Wesfarmers health division, where she is in charge of integrating API – the owner of Priceline Pharmacy.

New Wesfarmers health boss plans for growth

Emily Amos is just five months into the top job at what will one day be $10 billion division for the WA-based conglomerate.

  • Carrie LaFrenz

August 2022

Ramsay Health Care signs new deal with Bupa

The contract will ensure Bupa members continue to be covered, without additional out-of-pocket costs, when they receive treatment at a Ramsay facility in Australia.

  • Carrie LaFrenz

July 2021

IntelligenceBank founder Tessa Court says she is focused on building the best product in the world as the “love child” of marketing and regtech.

Melbourne marketing tech firm bags $50m US funding

IntelligenceBank provides a marketing platform for companies including ANZ, NAB, Suncorp, KFC and Hyatt Hotels, and its growth has attracted a big VC funding cheque.

  • Updated
  • Paul Smith

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/bupa-1m1s