Hospitals seek right to boycott big insurers from funding talks

Not-for-profit hospital operators want to overhaul how they negotiate controversial funding deals with health insurers, including the right to collectively boycott Australia’s five largest health insurers, as private hospitals fight to ensure their survival.

Catholic Health Australia, which represents 63 private hospitals, has asked the competition regulator to approve a new provision that would stop Medibank Private, Bupa, NIB, HCF and HBF Health from negotiating individual funding contracts with hospitals while collective talks are under way.