The federal government is introducing a new system to allow private health insurance consumers see exactly what their policies cover "on a single page".
Health Minister Greg Hunt on Sunday unveiled the minimum hospital treatments covered by the new policy bands -- Gold, Silver, Bronze and Basic -- due to come in next April.
Mr Hunt says the system will not lead to a change in prices for procedures, but allows consumers to easily see what their policies pay for.
"For the first time, people will be able to see on a single page what is included and what isn't. There's no increase in prices as a result of this," he told the Nine Network.
"We're not changing policies, we're categorising them so that everybody can see very simply what's in, what's out. Exactly what they are personally covered for."
He said a gold policy includes everything, including treatments many people don't need.
"One of the great complaints that we have is that many males, many women beyond child bearing age will say, I've only just discovered I'm being covered for pregnancy when of course there's no need for that," he said.
The government has recommended that 20 basic hospital treatments including appendix surgeries, chemotherapy and tonsillectomies would be covered by all bronze policies, but other procedures such as IVF and joint replacements would be in the top gold band.
Opposition health spokeswoman Catherine King said better information for consumers was welcome, although it would do nothing to address price issues.
"They're not designed to bring down the cost of private health insurance at all, and that's part of the problem," she told reporters in Melbourne.
"They do provide better information to consumers, and of course that is always welcome."
Ms King said private health insurance companies needed to play their part in making the product more affordable, citing a report that 40 private health insurer executives spent $600,000 on a European junket.
"Instead of constantly expecting Australian consumers and their customers to tighten their belts, how about the private health insurance industry tightens its belt first," she said.
