Australia’s health system is unfair and muddled and the prescription for its repair depends on the federal government’s approach to private health insurance. In a paper on private cover, Grattan Institute analysts Dr Stephen Duckett and Kristina Nemet warned the sector faced a death spiral if young, healthy people continued to drop their cover. An “unhappy mix” of partially public and partially privatised healthcare in Australia had led to a system “riddled with inconsistencies and perverse incentives”, the paper released on Tuesday said. Australia’s biggest private health insurers illegally rejected thousands of claims Read more Duckett said data showed all age groups over 65 were increasing their insurance while the remaining Australians were reducing their coverage. Among young people, about 3%-5% were dropping out each year, he said. “Which means the risk pool, the money that everybody pools, is getting worse in the sense that younger people are paying […]