Over the weekend Minister Hunt announced that private health insurance premiums would rise by 2.92 per cent as of 1 April 2020.

The cost of private health insurance is now at a record high, and has never been more unaffordable for Australians.

Under the Liberals, private health insurance has risen 33 per cent and the average Australian family is over $1,000 worse off.

This increase is higher than inflation and higher than wages growth.

And while costs soar as this Government sits on its hands, people are voting with their feet.

Last months Quarterly Private Health Insurance Statistics confirmed thousands of young Australians abandoned their hospital insurance from June to September.

And today, even the big insurers are calling for urgent Government review and reform, with one insurer saying:

"There has never been a more urgent time for further reform to drive down the cost of healthcare in Australia."

Its past time for Minister Hunt to claim responsibility and get on with the job of making private health insurance affordable and sustainable.

The only way to address the private health insurance crisis is with a root and branch review of the system.

The time for a review into private health insurance is now.