Private hospital insurance status among a state-wide injured population

Injury is a leading cause of inpatient hospital episodes. Over a 4-year period (1997-2000) the Australian Government introduced measures to support the private health insurance industry by providing incentives for people to take up private health insurance (PHI) in order to take the pressure off public hospitals. This study examined the levels of PHI for moderately and severely injured people in Victoria as a way of determining the effectiveness of government incentives. The method involved an analysis of all Victorian public and private hospital injury admissions between July 2000 and June 2003. We found that people with injuries, either unintentional or intentional, had lower levels of PHI than state norms. While numbers of injured patients occupying private hospital beds initially increased, levels then dropped below the levels before the introduction of the incentives. The burden of injury is substantial and suggests that incentives need to be targeted towards at-risk groups.