One of the country's largest health insurance providers has held off on increasing its premiums ahead of a planned annual rise later this year.
NIB said it would defer its planned increase of 2.72 per cent from the usual April 1 date until the start of September.
The deferral follows calls from Health Minister Mark Butler for insurers to delay premium rises and for providers to make sure members get value for money.
This year's average premium is set to rise 2.9 per cent, less than the 10-year average of 4.4 per cent.
It means an average single will pay an extra $1.17 a week while families on average will fork out an extra $2.58.
NIB's chief executive Mark Fitzgibbon said the decision to defer followed a slower pace of claims made, which remain below pre-COVID levels.
"Householders are facing very strong cost of living pressures. NIB's premium increase is below the industry average, much lower than inflation and less than the price rises we have experienced in many parts of the health sector," he said.
"We also anticipated claims would be back to back to pre-COVID levels by now but we have not seen that yet."
The insurance provider said a review of the premium increase was expected to take place mid-year.
Mr Butler said the federal government was working with insurers to give consumers better value for money while making sure the cost of high quality care in private hospitals was funded.
"Private health insurers must ensure their members are getting value for their money," he said.
"When costs rise (members) want to know higher premiums are contributing to system-wide improvements like higher wages for nurses and other health workers."
More than 14 million Australians have private health insurance and access more than $22 billion in benefits each year.
