{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,11]],"date-time":"2026-10-11T17:46:30Z","timestamp":1791740790464,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":17,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791331200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Australas Psychiatry"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Private psychiatric hospitals provide access to care for the approximately 46% of Australians who pay for private health insurance with hospital coverage. However, although private health insurance coverage has gradually increased, activity in private psychiatric hospitals has stagnated, particularly when measured by separations and Medicare-funded inpatient services. The funding and cost structure of private hospitals may be significant factors in this discrepancy because insurers are making record profits while private hospitals maintain that their costs are not covered. The burden falls on patients who are unable to access private hospital care. An independently determined, cost-based benchmark for private hospitals is recommended. Such independent costing of psychiatric care is already in routine use.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/10398562261492164","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,8]],"date-time":"2026-10-08T06:43:20Z","timestamp":1791441800000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Maintaining the viability of private psychiatric hospitals: The role of independently determined health insurance payments"],"prefix":"10.1177","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3351-6911","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jeffrey C. L.","family":"Looi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"The Australian National University"},{"name":"Consortium of Australian Academic Psychiatrists for Independent Policy Research and Analysis (CAPIPRA)"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9264-5310","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stephen","family":"Allison","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Consortium of Australian Academic Psychiatrists for Independent Policy Research and Analysis (CAPIPRA)"},{"name":"Flinders University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6931-2913","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tarun","family":"Bastiampillai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Consortium of Australian Academic Psychiatrists for Independent Policy Research and Analysis (CAPIPRA)"},{"name":"Flinders University"},{"name":"Monash University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4021-2924","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Steve","family":"Kisely","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Consortium of Australian Academic Psychiatrists for Independent Policy Research and Analysis (CAPIPRA)"},{"name":"The University of Queensland"},{"name":"Metro South Addiction and Mental Health Service"},{"name":"Dalhousie University"},{"name":"Australian Society of Psychiatrists"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8216-0694","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luke S.-C.","family":"Woon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The National University of Malaysia"},{"name":"The Australian National University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2111-9487","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wai-Man","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Australian National University"},{"name":"The Australian National University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_5_2_2","unstructured":"APRA. Private health insurance annual coverage survey. https:\/\/www.apra.gov.au\/news-and-publications\/private-health-insurance-annual-coverage-survey (2026 accessed 13 August 2026)."},{"key":"e_1_3_5_3_2","unstructured":"AIHW. Admitted patient mental health-related care - national data. https:\/\/www.aihw.gov.au\/mental-health\/topic-areas\/hospital-based-services\/admitted-patients (2026 accessed 13 August 2026)."},{"key":"e_1_3_5_4_2","unstructured":"AIHW. Medicare mental health services. https:\/\/www.aihw.gov.au\/mental-health\/topic-areas\/community-based-services\/medicare-mental-health (2026 accessed 14 August 2026)."},{"key":"e_1_3_5_5_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/ajr.13092"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_6_2","first-page":"1314","article-title":"Growing chasms: australian psychiatrist workforce distribution across local government areas by socioeconomic status","author":"Woon LS-C","year":"2026","unstructured":"Woon LS-C, Allison S, Bastiampillai T, et al. 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Honeysuckle health ltd and nib health funds limited. https:\/\/www.accc.gov.au\/public-registers\/authorisations-and-notifications-registers\/authorisations-register\/honeysuckle-health-ltd-and-nib-health-funds-limited (2026 accessed 20 July 2026)."},{"key":"e_1_3_5_10_2","unstructured":"BUPA. Bupa to acquire partnered health group. https:\/\/media.bupa.com.au\/bupa-to-acquire-partnered-health-group\/ (2026 accessed 14 August 2026)."},{"key":"e_1_3_5_11_2","unstructured":"Medibank. Medibank welcomes better medical to the Amplar health network. https:\/\/www.medibank.com.au\/livebetter\/newsroom\/post\/medibank-welcomes-better-medical-to-the-amplar-health-network (2026 accessed 14 August 2026)."},{"key":"e_1_3_5_12_2","unstructured":"Ernst_&_Young. Study of private health insurance minimum and secondtier default benefit arrangements. https:\/\/consultations.health.gov.au\/medical-benefits-division\/consultation-on-phi-studies\/supporting_documents\/Ernst\/20and\/20Young\/20Hospital\/20Default\/20Benefits\/20Final\/20Report.pdf (2026 accessed 7 September 2026)."},{"key":"e_1_3_5_13_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMp1508037"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_14_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.f3197"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_15_2","first-page":"4429","article-title":"Systemic regulation of the private healthcare sector is needed to ensure patient accessibility is not limited by out-of-pocket costs","author":"Looi JC","year":"2026","unstructured":"Looi JC, Allison S, Bastiampillai T, et al. Systemic regulation of the private healthcare sector is needed to ensure patient accessibility is not limited by out-of-pocket costs. 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