Prosthetics a path to cheaper premiums

The government hopes to reach an agreement with the medical prosthetics sector within the month that would help drive down private health insurance premiums.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said there was an unacceptable divide between the cost of prosthetics for public and private patients, the latter footing inflated prices that translated to higher premiums.

"This could be a historic agreement which will give people better access, at lower cost, not just to private health, but to a range of medical treatments," Mr Hunt told reporters in Melbourne on Saturday.