Spikey

I've been looking at getting private health insurance. We have our medicare cover but I'd like extras for things like dental treatment (I need a crown doing for a start).

I'm really confused by all the packages though. I was thinking of just getting 'blue ribband plus' extras package from medibank which works out about $99 per month. It doesn't include hospital cover (but does include ambulance) but I was thinking of not bothering with that. What does everyone else do - do you have hospital cover or are the public hosps ok? We have a 3 and a 6 year old, to date they've never been admitted to hospital and I'd say we were a fairly healthy family. I have been told my son will need a brace on his teeth when he's older though and he wears glasses (as do me & my H) so I want to be covered for things like that.

Help!!

Centurion

I've advantage plus from Medibank for the wife and I. Top level cover but with an excess.

Although there are cheaper companies out there you should probably be aware that the largest proportion of surgeons and other professionals are contracted to Medicare which ensures, should you ever need it, that you may receive the treatment faster than with some other providers, or simply have a better choice of options.

As to the exact package concerned, its realistically comes down to the benefits which you want to get. The medicare site is quite good at explaining the differences as you probably are aware from having to trawl through it already.

Spikey

Thanks for that, I've read a bit more and done a search on here and I think I will leave hospital cover and just go for extras

Centurion

Actually, an interesting story today from a lady I know who injured her hand when her dog pulled away and she was holding the collar. I was there at the time and recognised it was skeletal and not muscular and suggested she went to the doctors/hospital asap and ice immediately.

Turns out on Xray that she has 2 spiral fractures of the 2/3 meta tarsals in the hand. The public hospital said all they could do was cast it and a specialist was not available. They immediately suggested that she contact her healthcare fund.

Under her medibank healthcare though a surgeon was contacted and operated on it inserting screws and fixing the bones. Result should be excellent compared to a weakened hand and demformity under the public health care system.

Just a comparison, that at the time of an accident its not necessarily a case of being able to afford operations and such, but the availability of surgeons under hospital cover.

Made me think anyways.

khoardiroy

Sign up now....12 months waiting period until it all kicks in and if your over 30 there is a age loading fee unless you sign up in the first 12 months of arriving.

Spikey

Oh gawd perhaps I should look at hosp cover then, though doing the search on here and answering the 'right cover for you' questions on the medibank website made me think we didn't really need it (fairly young, healthy, not planning any more children etc).

Spikey

Eh? What's the 12 months waiting thing, the medibank thing I looked at made no mention of being newly arrived or anything. Does that mean I can't claim for things like dentists for a year???

Think I'll try and speak to a consultant from medibank during the week, just worried about them selling me a policy where I'm paying too much for what we actually need.

spottydog

Certainly check about waiting periods, I get mine through my company and if I joined within a month of starting work all periods (up to 12 months for major dental work) were waved. You'll also find some providers do special offers reducing waiting periods if you sign up at a certain time. When you transfer mnost providers honour your existing waiting period if its lower than the new one wouild be so it may be worth looking at whether you can join a more expensive one with no waiting period then change to a cheaper company after a couple of months (I don't know if this is allowed, you'd have to check).

Swerv-o

I've been looking at this too, and it really is like tip toeing around a minefield. As far as I am aware, if you transfer schemes then your new scheme has to honour the some things as your old scheme with no waiting period. If you upgrade your cover, then the new scheme in entitled to make you wait, but then so would your old one have done.

things to watch out for:

• Some hospital only covers don't apply when the Medicare special levy is calculated.
  
• There is usually a 12 month waiting period for pre-existing conditions, though you can have them done after 12 months.
  
• Some of the cheapest schemes have a list of sthings that they will specifically cover you for. Anything else isn't included.

Can't think of any others right now, but it's on my list of New Year things to sort out.

S

Spikey

Thanks, I spoke to a medibank consultant this morning and have set up an extras policy, may decide to add hospital cover at a later date. It has just a 2 month waiting period for most things but 12 months for major dental work so looks like I'll have to fork out for my crown now (bloody tooth broke just a week before we left UK so didn't have time to get it sorted there) or wait a year I queried this with her and she said most policies were the same so people didn't abuse the system. Though I did point out that by leaving it a year I might require more work doing to my teeth than I would atm. My H has got a job with the university and I'm not working (yet!) so I don't think we'd get cover any other way, there was nothing about health ins when he got the package with the job offer

I really just wanted dental and eye cover (as my son wears glasses and it's quite important he gets checked regularly) It's a 6 month waiting period for glasses but that should be ok. We also get a couple of dental check ups a year with this one.

Spikey

Thanks! It's very confusing for a thicko like me

I've gone for extras only cover atm, as I figured we've not used a hospital in the last 10 years (other than for childbirth and we're not having any more children) so public hosps would probably *do*. I really just wanted dental cover and eye care which I've got covered. But won't be able to get my crown done for a year unless I pay it all. Which I think I'll have to do as I really don't want to leave it that long

Swerv-o

Don't worry - I found it completely confusing too. Generally, I found that whatever I wanted covering wasn't.

S

JAJ

Read about Lifetime Health Cover:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wc...ers-affect.htm

If a new migrant you have 12 months to take out cover. If you don't you will pay an age loading if aged 31 or over.

Gibbo

Am I right in saying that you teach? If I am then the best one for you is the Teachers' Federation Health Fund. It's the best of the lot.

Swerv-o

Not anymore I don't. I think you would need good health cover as a teacher - particularly mental health!

Some of the occupation specific ones are open to anyone to join though.

S