Welcome to the Insurance Online News podcast with your host, Paige Estritori, where we deliver the latest and most significant news from the world of insurance in Australia. Our dedicated team works tirelessly to bring you the freshest updates, focusing on the stories that matter the most to both Australian businesses and individual consumers over the past week.
Through meticulous research, we transform these developments into original content that not only keeps you informed but also offers deep insights into the insurance landscape as it stands today. Our podcast distills these crucial updates into a format that's both succinct and captivating. For professionals within the insurance realm or personal consumers keen on keeping up with insurance trends, look no further. Paige Estritori brings you all the essential information daily, making our podcast the ultimate destination for trustworthy and impactful insurance news.
This Week:
This week Paige Estritori covers four stories shaping insurance decisions in Australia: fresh concerns about disaster cash settlements and why households should get independent quotes; a formal warning to a life insurer over more than 10,000 communication breaches and the importance of checking annual notices; catastrophe losses of about $4 billion and higher building costs keeping pressure on home and SME premiums; and proposed private health rebate changes that could lift costs for some over‑65s, with a Senate report due on October 7. Listeners are encouraged to review cover, check sums insured, and compare policies, with help available at insuranceonline.com.au.
Hello and welcome to Insurance Online News with Paige Estritori for 3 September 2026.
First, cash settlements after disasters are under fresh scrutiny. Consumer groups have backed the corporate regulators review, warning that lump-sum offers can fall short when theyre based on a single quote or dont factor rising repair costs. If youre offered cash instead of a managed repair, ask exactly whats covered, get independent quotes, and compare policies side by side before deciding.
Meanwhile, a life insurer has been formally warned after more than ten thousand breaches of the industry code in customer communications. Errors and delays in annual notices can lead to confusion about benefits and premiums. Take a moment to check your latest policy notice; if anything looks off, contact your fund or speak with an independent broker for help clarifying and comparing your options.
On natural disasters, the latest figures show insured losses of about $4 billion over the past year, with building costs up by roughly a third since 2021 and even higher in parts of Queensland. That keeps pressure on home and small-business premiums. Now is a good time to review your sums insured, consider resilience upgrades where practical, and compare cover levels and excesses so youre not underinsured.
And for those with private health cover, proposed changes to age-based rebates could lift costs for some over‑65s by around four to eight per cent, with a Senate report due on 7 October. If health insurance is in your budget, check whether your extras and hospital cover still match your needs, and compare options before renewal.
Thats the wrap. For free, fast personal and business insurance quotes and independent broker support, head to insuranceonline.com.au.
The information on this website is general in nature and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Consider seeking personal advice from a licensed adviser before acting on any information.
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Knowledgebase
Loss Ratio: The ratio of claims paid by an insurer to the premiums earned, used as a measure of profitability.
