Medibank Private has welcomed the introduction of Government legislation allowing private health insurers to cover dependent adult children on family covers.
If passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate, the rule change will allow adult children aged 18-24 who are not in fulltime study to stay on family memberships, rather than being faced with the more costly option of taking out their own single policy.
Adult children aged 18-24 in fulltime study are already permitted to stay on the family cover, and they are unaffected by the changes.
Medibank Private Managing Director, George Savvides, has applauded the Government's initiative.
"Medibank Private has offered families with adult children the option of having them continue on the family cover for sometime, but through an unfortunate oversight in the 2007 private health insurance reforms, the regulations permitting it were omitted. This legislation corrects that omission.
"Since its introduction, the option to maintain adult children on the family membership has proven to be an increasingly popular way for families to continue to cover their childrens' health needs as they transition from the dependent young adult adults to independence.
"This is good policy. It is good for young adults, who can continue to receive all the benefits of private health insurance; it is good for families, who can rest easy knowing their children will have access to the best healthcare; and it is good for the health system to have this group privately insured and not being forced to rely on the public health system," Mr Savvides said.
ENDS
For further information please contact:
James Connors
Tel: 03 8622 5163 | Mob: 0433 992 677 | email: james_connors@medibank.com.au