Health & Family Private health insurance

I'm guessing most of the folks here would have private health insurance. Just curious who are you with and how's your experience?

I have always been with NIB but not sure if the pregnancy cover for the wife is as competitive as others.

Would love to hear some of your experience

 

I try and focus on the clinical aspects and leave the billing to my practice managers, but they always convey that NIB costs my patients more than any fund. They have a terrible no gap policy, which means you will nearly always be charged a gap. And because they are so bad at doing so, the patient has to pay up front, then seek reimbursement.

I'm with Medibank Private, and am leaving once we are out of the woods with my infant.

For the mainstream funds, BUPA seems a little more flexible in what it covers. Whether or not it's worth the jump, for you, I can't say.

 

I'm with NIB. Good to hear feedback, will have to around. My partner just switched to MBF which was rated highly by the AMA

 

I'm with Bupa. I get annoyed because I pay close to 2k per year to get $100 off my dental annually. I have it "just in case". But so far I can't say it's been of any great benefit to me. I guess some people would say that's a good thing in some ways. Not that I've ever had a problem with Bupa.

 

None, it's pointless

 

Don't you need one to not pay Medicare Levy Surcharge and get Ambulance cover at the very least?

PrivateHealth.gov.au - Australian Health Insurance Information - A no BS comparison website.

You can lookup stats for your particular state on consumer feedback and claim approval ratings. Also watch out for No Gap, Known Gap confusion.I think not-for-profit funds are better. **** BUPA.

PS: I am with HCF.

 

Cancelled all - waste of money and run on fear tactics.

My auntie has a severe case of rheumatoid arthritis and gets to see one of the top specialists in SA through his private practice in north Adelaide - she pays for it through health insurance premiums and gaps.

My mum has exactly the same condition, no private health but gets to see exactly the same specialist for free at a public hospital.

Treatment is the same. If surgery is required, my mum does not get a private room - who cares!

My mum gets all drugs, treatments etc for free.

My mum has a bigger, better house and more money.

I don't have private health but when I had my children I could have still chosen any hospital I wanted, even a private one. They don't stop you just because you don't have health insurance.

 

I use health.com.au - either that or medical levy surcharge.

@Xenia i think it makes sense if the individual have the funds to cover any medical fees. The only time I'd choose private over public is when waiting time is important. Apart from that, I use the extras such us osteopath, acupuncture and remedial massage

 

If you search, we've discussed this before - here and somersoft. I've posted about wait times within the last week. Its about choice and convenience.

I look after someone in Australia's top ten richest. Interestingly, they have private cover.

 

I often see people complain about premiums but top hospital cover only costs a bit over $100/month for which one gets to avoid medicare levy surcharge, lifetime health cover loading, get ambulance cover and wait for it .... private health cover if you need it.

A single procedure that costs $10k easily covers for 10 years of premiums. Yes you can go through the public system but why put yourself through potential wait times, no say in the doctor that treats you? Or treatment options for that matter?

You wouldn't not use car insurance and just rely on CTP would you?

 

For those saying it's a waste of money. Insurance is one of those things you "hope" is a waste, you pay it hoping to never need it.

You insure your car and house, why not your body?

The last 12 months would have cost me tens of thousands of dollars, instead it cost me $50 a day in hospital and $30 per 3 weeks for appointments.

My chemo was covered, my surgery was covered and I was in an amazing private hospital that cost me $50 a day and the health fund $700 a day. Also my surgery was only 1 week after we discovered the cancer, this wouldn't happen this quickly in Public.

And that's just me, my wife has her own problems which see our health fund paying out for her also. BEFORE my treatment we worked it out and we were ahead just for the wife, we are now very far ahead and will continue to be for the rest of our lives.

We are with HCF, we have the top cover and I have had no problems with them whatsoever, everything is done with very little interaction from me.

 

A patient of mine last week had a procedure that would have cost him less than $100. Uninsured, I charged him about this, the hospital slugged him $2500. He was rich enough that he didn't care (his words), but most aren't .

 

Why don't you use your elf fun properly?

I use BUPA preferred dentists, physio, optimists and chiro - all with $0 out of pocket.

Ignorance of what you're coverage provides is no reason to bag a service provider if you're paying for it. Check out the app/website.

 

We have private insurance - and will continue to do so - due to a few recent examples.

Hubby had a bowel test come back dodgy so went to the doc's and got a referral to a specialist ... not realising we were in private. After 2 months we received a letter from the specialists practice advising that they would be notified of an appointment in around 12 months time ... that wasn't the appointment ... that was the "advice" of the appointment. Phoned the doc and advised we were private - got an appointment two weeks later and all well that ended well. Now - If I had a dodgy bowel test - that could be cancer - don't know that I'd be wanting to wait over 12 months just to have it checked - could be dead by then!

Hubby's aunt needed both a hip and knee replacement on the same leg ... waited on the public list for 2 years in grinding pain to be advised she could have one replacement and then she'd go back on the end of the list for the other - another two years in agony to wait ...

A few weeks ago the whole family put ourselves through the dentist to get all required work done ... between the three of us we spend a few thou (fillings, replacements etc) of which we got around 2/3rds back via private health ... even considering how expensive a simple clean and check is (couple of hundred), and the massive waiting list on public dental, and how important healthy teeth are for your general health ...

Fabulous to have no health insurance while everyone is healthy and racing ... but when something goes wrong, that isn't considered immediately life threateningly serious ...

 

Can you just pay for a private hospital though if you want it? Or are they just reserved for private insurance patients? I find private health insurance a waste of money to be honest, we're paying about 4k a year now with Bupa. It's sort of ok because we are pumping out babies but once we're through with this phase of our life I want to cancel it and just pay what I have to when I need it.

Mother in law doesn't have private cover, had cancer over the last couple of year, 3 major operations, about 15 weeks in hospital all up. Didn't pay a dime. She had to stay in a public hospital but for about half of the stay got her own room.

 

You can - my friend just got quoted $9000 a day for private hospital. Her surgery would cost about $6000+ and who knows how many days stay at hospital depends on the severity of the issue

If she choose private, cost range from $15K to $30K a pop. Staying with public cost about $450 a day but about 6-12 months wait. She has been advised to have the surgery sooner than later.

 

Jesus christ...Are they operating out of the Ritz Carlton or something?