Health & Family Thinking of dropping Health Insurance

Currently I pay $185 a month for top insurance including extras.
This is with HCF.
Im finding i never use it.
If i do i go to the HCF Dental clinic once a year and have my teeth cleaned.
They dont do fillings there at the HCF Dental Clinic so off to a private dentist and receive a 50% discount on my HCF fund.

Specs still cost over $300
Im wondering if its worth holding onto, im thinking keeping the hospital cover and ditching the extras .
is it neccessary you think ?
How many of you have it?

 

Depends on your income and whether you must pay the extra medicare Levi come tax time. Your savings might be negligible. Don't forget the age requirements for the rebate if you ever change your mind.

 

I suppose you will stop your property insurance if you don't claim on it too. We were like you hardly claimed a thing, then inthe last 2 years probably $100,000.

are you a member of aprofessional organisation, who do you work for ie see if there are any deals for corporate rates. We upgraded to top hospital last year on a corporatebenefit monthly payment same as for lower cover.

 

What about your psychiatrist? Surely part of that $300 an hour is covered?

 

I assume your in darlinghurst, your surrounded by great public hospitals! depending on salary may be the only reason to have it. Then if you don't claim or use the additional bs they include drop your level of cover.
Shop around, we just changed from hcf tobupa.
Also check your not being charged extra for obstetrics! Everyone should check, mother in law who is in her 50's was still being charged! They'll happily take your money so check !
And after my wife worked in a number of private hospitals we dropped the obstetric cover, it's bloody expensive and the care is debatable!

 

Waited 18 months to have my knee replaced and by the time I got into hospital could barely walk, I now have insurance and pay the extra loading - I dont ever want to go through that again

 

Same thing here. Our cover is really good compared to price we pay, if we want to drop obstetric, we have to go the lower cover and pay more

 

Really? we were able to just drop it and still stay top cover, lowered it by around 100+/month

 

I had a GP once who was honest enough to tell me that in his opinion private health insurance was a scam and that you were better off relying on the public system while keeping a several grand aside in case you need to get something elective done in a hurry (like a knee reconstruction).

I also have a few friends who have had very unpleasant experiences in the private health system including a near lethal mis-diagnosis and a refusal to treat a chronic condition ("You'd be better off at the public hospital"). I think sometimes there's an assumption that private is automatically better when I don't think there's any evidence to support that.

However if you like your extras or you have an ongoing/chronic condition that the private funds are willing to treat then it probably represents good value.

 

After spending a week in a private hospital for a very delicate operation with my own doctors & specialists I believe it is imperative to have private health....you only need it.....when you need it..

 

There are morons walking almost us everywhere, it's just whether you want a "hotel room" or slum it.
But your age, medical history, current injuries/ailments play a part

 

I have cover havent claimed anything since getting it. I think the misses has claimed dribs and drabs here and there.

In saying that though i put myself in the burns unit after a aerosol can exploded in my face at work. 5 days hospital stay in burns unit was about $12,000. Good old work cover had my back, and i was allowed to drink milkshakes whenever i wanted (milk is good for growing skin apparently) one accident like that and my heakth insurance would have paid for itself

 

Public patient referrals are going through the outpatient clinics from as far back as 2011/2012/2013. If you are happy to wait that long, then fine.

I have private cover for myself and my family.

Private patients can often be seen that week, maybe even that day, and an operation the next.

I have private cover for myself and my family.

(But, I will be leaving Medibank Private as they attempt to gouge patients/hospitals and drive care to a USA style system - they are also being supported by BUPA and NIB. This means, if you have a complication, they won't foot the bill. And if the hospital won't either, you will. This means, in short, you won't be readmitted to a private hospital. And this is a disgrace).

 

The quote for replacing my knee 3 years ago was $25,000, I believe its now about $40,000 - who has that kind of petty cash around?

 

Yes true should have worded that differently. Their selling point is the hotel room experience. But the choice of dr and waitingtimes should be main part

also your care differs in private as it's looking after their mates and referring Willy nilly. "your care isn't paramount but we'll refer you to my mate just so you can sign the form," that's my severely sceptical view. they still are chasing work like every other industrie

My wife needed a massive hip opp, went to three different specialties, each said their way was best. After lots of our own research and dr visits found the right guy.

One thing at a particular hospital was the reputation of a obstetric Dr was that most people thought he was the bees knees, he's signature move was to say there were "likely to be complications we'll creaser you on this date". What a hero just saved Mum and bubs life! In actual fact most cases it suited him that way

 

Wow, the one time you don't want to worry about money is when you are sick. Its just like any insurance ..car..house..landlord.

We are top cover and have been for years. Only claimed dribs and drabs..glasses, dentist clean. Then bang, my 6 year old (at the time) diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. HBF paid 10 000 for an insulin pump.

Surely paying the premium is just peace of mind if anything goes wrong. You don't know what is around the corner.