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1. What was proposedMark PartonLiberal · Opposition
   Read the original wording (400 words)

   That this Assembly: (1) notes that: (a) the Australian Government has introduced the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026, which would remove the higher private health insurance rebate currently available to Australians aged 65 and over, with the proposed changes to commence on 1 April 2027; (b) the Australian Government estimates the measure will affect approximately 3.2 million Australians aged 65 and over and result in approximately 44,000 fewer older Australians holding private health insurance by 2028-2029; (c) recent polling indicates that almost 40 percent of seniors surveyed in outer- suburban and regional electorates are more likely to drop their private health insurance as a result of the proposed changes; and (d) the ACT has one of the highest rates of private hospital insurance coverage in Australia, with 54.2 percent of the population holding hospital treatment cover as at December 2025, compared with 45.6 percent nationally; (2) recognises that: (a) private health insurance makes an important contribution to healthcare capacity in the ACT by supporting access to private hospital and specialist services and helping to reduce demand on the public hospital system; and (b) the ACT public health system is already under significant strain, including workplace culture and morale challenges, the threat of occupational violence on the workforce, prolonged elective surgery waiting times and pressure on emergency departments, hospital beds and specialist services; (3) further notes with concern the warnings from the New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmanian health ministers that removing the higher rebate for older Australians risks increasing demand for public hospitals and shifting additional costs and demand from the Commonwealth to state and territory health systems; (4) considers that increasing the cost of private health insurance for older Australians risks encouraging some people to downgrade or abandon their private cover, placing additional pressure on the ACT’s public hospitals and potentially increasing demand for public hospital services; and (5) calls on the Government to: (a) make representations to the Australian Government urging it to abandon the proposed removal of the higher private health insurance rebate for Australians aged 65 and over; (b) write to the Federal Minister for Health and Ageing, the Hon Mark Butler MP, outlining the ACT Government’s opposition to the proposed changes and the potential impact on the ACT public health system; and (c) provide a copy of that correspondence to the Assembly within 30 days of this motion passing.

2. Proposed changeMarisa PatersonLabor · Minister17 September 2026

   Grouped by key words as: rewrote the proposal, changed a date or deadline, changed a number or target.

   The exact wording of this change

   Omit all text after “That this Assembly”, substitute: “(1) notes that: (a) the Australian Government has introduced the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026 (‘the Bill’), which would reduce the higher private health insurance rebate currently available to Australians aged 65 and over, with the proposed changes to commence on 1 April 2027; (b) the Australian Government estimates the measure will affect approximately 3.2 million Australians aged 65 and over and result in approximately 44,000 fewer older Australians holding private health insurance by 2028-2029; (c) recent polling indicates that almost 40 percent of seniors surveyed in outer- suburban and regional electorates are more likely to drop their private health insurance as a result of the proposed changes; and (d) the ACT has one of the highest rates of private hospital insurance coverage in Australia, with 54.2 percent of the population holding hospital treatment cover as at December 2025, compared with 45.6 percent nationally; and (e) the Commonwealth Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs’ inquiry into the Bill is ongoing; (2) recognises that: (a) private health insurance makes an important contribution to healthcare capacity in the ACT by supporting access to private hospital and specialist services and helping to reduce demand on the public hospital system; and (b) the ACT public health system is already under significant strain, including workplace culture and morale challenges, the threat of occupational violence on the workforce, prolonged elective surgery waiting times and pressure on emergency departments, hospital beds and specialist services; (3) further notes with concern the warnings from the New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmanian health ministers that removing the higher rebate for older Australians risks increasing demand for public hospitals and shifting additional costs and demand from the Commonwealth to state and territory health systems; (4) considers that increasing the cost of private health insurance for older Australians risks encouraging some people to downgrade or abandon their private cover, placing additional pressure on the ACT’s public hospitals and potentially increasing demand for public hospital services; and (5) calls on the ACT Government to: (a) monitor data on private health insurance coverage amongst people over 65 in the ACT after 1 April 2027 to determine whether the rebate reduction reduces coverage over time; (b) write to the Federal Minister for Health and Ageing, the Hon Mark Butler MP, raising potential impacts of the proposed removal of the higher private health insurance rebate for Australians aged 65 and over on ACT residents; (c) provide a copy of that correspondence to the Legislative Assembly within 30 days of this motion passing; (d) advocate for increased Commonwealth investment in aged care capacity in the ACT; and (e) continue to work with the Commonwealth to address issues relating to delayed discharge patients impacting ACT public hospital capacity.”. Debate continued.

   Agreed on the voices. No individual votes were recorded. Its wording is in the final text.

3. Change to Marisa Paterson's changeMark PartonLiberal · Opposition17 September 2026

   Grouped by key words as: rewrote the proposal.

   The exact wording of this change

   to Dr Paterson’s proposed amendment: Omit all text in paragraph (5)(a), substitute: “(a) make representations to the Australian Government urging it to abandon the proposed removal of the higher private health insurance rebate for Australian aged 65 and over.”.

   Not agreed on the voices. No individual votes were recorded.

4. What the Assembly decidedAgreed

   Decided on the voices: no individual votes were recorded, so this doesn’t show that every MLA agreed.

   Final agreed wording, with changes marked

   That this Assembly: (1) notes that: (a) the Australian Government has introduced the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026 (‘the Bill’), which would reduce the higher private health insurance rebate currently available to Australians aged 65 and over, with the proposed changes to commence on 1 April 2027; (b) the Australian Government estimates the measure will affect approximately 3.2 million Australians aged 65 and over and result in approximately 44,000 fewer older Australians holding private health insurance by 2028-2029; (c) recent polling indicates that almost 40 percent of seniors surveyed in outer- suburban and regional electorates are more likely to drop their private health insurance as a result of the proposed changes; and (d) the ACT has one of the highest rates of private hospital insurance coverage in Australia, with 54.2 percent of the population holding hospital treatment cover as at December 2025, compared with 45.6 percent nationally; and (e) the Commonwealth Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs’ inquiry into the Bill is ongoing; (2) recognises that: (a) private health insurance makes an important contribution to healthcare capacity in the ACT by supporting access to private hospital and specialist services and helping to reduce demand on the public hospital system; and (b) the ACT public health system is already under significant strain, including workplace culture and morale challenges, the threat of occupational violence on the workforce, prolonged elective surgery waiting times and pressure on emergency departments, hospital beds and specialist services; (3) further notes with concern the warnings from the New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmanian health ministers that removing the higher rebate for older Australians risks increasing demand for public hospitals and shifting additional costs and demand from the Commonwealth to state and territory health systems; (4) considers that increasing the cost of private health insurance for older Australians risks encouraging some people to downgrade or abandon their private cover, placing additional pressure on the ACT’s public hospitals and potentially increasing demand for public hospital services; and (5) calls on the ACT Government to: (a) monitor data on private health insurance coverage amongst people over 65 in the ACT after 1 April 2027 to determine whether the rebate reduction reduces coverage over time; (b) write to the Federal Minister for Health and Ageing, the Hon Mark Butler MP, raising potential impacts of the proposed removal of the higher private health insurance rebate for Australians aged 65 and over on ACT residents; (c) provide a copy of that correspondence to the Legislative Assembly within 30 days of this motion passing; (d) advocate for increased Commonwealth investment in aged care capacity in the ACT; and (e) continue to work with the Commonwealth to address issues relating to delayed discharge patients impacting ACT public hospital capacityPaterson.

   Original and final wording compared

   taken out put in

   That this Assembly: (1) notes that: (a) the Australian Government has introduced the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026 [put in: (‘the Bill’),]which would [taken out: remove][put in: reduce]the higher private health insurance rebate currently available to Australians aged 65 and over, with the proposed changes to commence on 1 April 2027; (b) the Australian Government estimates the measure will affect approximately 3.2 million Australians aged 65 and over and result in approximately 44,000 fewer older Australians holding private health insurance by 2028-2029; (c) recent polling indicates that almost 40 percent of seniors surveyed in outer- suburban and regional electorates are more likely to drop their private health insurance as a result of the proposed changes; and (d) the ACT has one of the highest rates of private hospital insurance coverage in Australia, with 54.2 percent of the population holding hospital treatment cover as at December 2025, compared with 45.6 percent nationally; [put in: and (e) the Commonwealth Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs’ inquiry into the Bill is ongoing;](2) recognises that: (a) private health insurance makes an important contribution to healthcare capacity in the ACT by supporting access to private hospital and specialist services and helping to reduce demand on the public hospital system; and (b) the ACT public health system is already under significant strain, including workplace culture and morale challenges, the threat of occupational violence on the workforce, prolonged elective surgery waiting times and pressure on emergency departments, hospital beds and specialist services; (3) further notes with concern the warnings from the New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmanian health ministers that removing the higher rebate for older Australians risks increasing demand for public hospitals and shifting additional costs and demand from the Commonwealth to state and territory health systems; (4) considers that increasing the cost of private health insurance for older Australians risks encouraging some people to downgrade or abandon their private cover, placing additional pressure on the ACT’s public hospitals and potentially increasing demand for public hospital services; and (5) calls on the [put in: ACT]Government to: (a) [taken out: make representations to the Australian Government urging it to abandon the proposed removal of the higher][put in: monitor data on]private health insurance [taken out: rebate for Australians aged][put in: coverage amongst people over]65 [taken out: and][put in: in the ACT after 1 April 2027 to determine whether the rebate reduction reduces coverage]over [put in: time;](b) write to the Federal Minister for Health and Ageing, the Hon Mark Butler MP, [taken out: outlining the ACT Government’s opposition to][put in: raising potential impacts of]the proposed [taken out: changes and the potential impact on][put in: removal of]the [taken out: ACT public][put in: higher private]health [taken out: system;][put in: insurance rebate for Australians aged 65]and [put in: over on ACT residents;](c) provide a copy of that correspondence to the [put in: Legislative]Assembly within 30 days of this motion passing; [put in: (d) advocate for increased Commonwealth investment in aged care capacity in the ACT; and (e) continue to work with the Commonwealth to address issues relating to delayed discharge patients impacting ACT public hospital capacity.]

   Compared word by word by computer, ignoring punctuation. It shows what differs, not which change made each difference; the steps above show that.