PoppetUK

Hi all.

I am sure these things have been asked before but I am trying to get the latest info.

We arrived just under a year ago and haven't taken out health insurance yet. I understand that if we try and take it out more than a year after we arrived we will be hit with higher premiums (perhaps 15%) more.

We are a family of 4 and do not plan to have any more kids.

I would like a fairly comprehensive cover mainly for peace of mind but I wondered if you educated people could tell me the pro's and con's for taking out cover. I have heard people with health care being left with gap's to pay after hospital stays. I don't know the exact circumstances but once why this could arise if you have health cover. Also reading the medibank booklet not all policies cover school accidents. Anyone know why? Given the kids will be involved in lots of things as they grow up and spend a lot of there time there it seems strange.

My sister in law takes the attitude that if something is needed it will get sort on the public system but I am not convinced this statement is true either way.

Like I said I would love to hear some thoughts on the subject.

Many Thanks

Poppetuk

quoll

Basically your sister is right, if it needs doing then medicare will do it. However if you ever get stuck with elective surgery like having your gall bladder out - when I had mine out, the wait list was 2 years, I got it done in 3 weeks. There is always a gap especially, in my experience, from the anaesthetists who seem to charge like wounded bulls! I havent had huge gaps from surgeons but I may just have been lucky for the few ops I have had.

The benefits are that you can have a room of your own, choose the surgeon you want to operate on you and generally get it done quicker. If you add on the optical and dental options as well you do get some back - if your kids need braces for example, you will get a bit back. The benefits of joining now are that your premiums will stay at the level you start on - the older you are at joining, the more your premiums will be. Best join before 30 or you end up paying more.

The cons are that it is bloody expensive. Even with an excess (to reduce the premium) I pay about $230 a month. If we were disciplined then we would just put that amount into a separate account and then pay cash if we ever needed it but we arent disciplined!

I guess we are suckers but at nearly 60 and paying the premiums of 30 year olds we are sort of in a bind. It was all worth it, every cent, when I needed an elective hysterectomy a few years ago I can assure you!!!!!!

PoppetUK

Thanks for your response.

That does help. Our kids are only little and already are likely to have dentistry work when they get only. I guess with any policy you try to work out how much your likely to use it versus the cost of premium's.

Was the main difference with the Gall Bladder op and Hysterectomy the length of time you had to wait? i.e you could be in quite a lot of discomfort but you would have to wait your turn. Hope that's not personal I am just trying to paint the picture so I can explain to my husband.

Thanks for your response.

Poppetuk

quoll

Yes, the waiting time was the main feature - I wouldnt have wanted to have waited much longer for either of them I can assure you Also, the conditions - the private hospitals here are IMHO quite a lot better than what I have seen of the public ones - not just the capacity for a single room but just generally nicer surroundings.

My choice of surgeon was also another factor - I researched the options and went for the one I thought would do the best job. That's not to say that I would have got a duff one had I gone public, I just knew who I was getting and when I was getting it.

I think this is a really difficult question - I hate that I have to fork over that much every month and I know that if it were ever life threatening I would get great (relatively) public treatment but somehow I am a belt and braces girl.
Dental and optical - well, I probably get back about one month's premiums for a pair of specs. I also hate that there is generally a "gap" which I have to pay on top of all the benefits from the health fund but in a free market they can charge what they like (it rankles to contribute to their Porsche fund but I know that the insurance premiums against malpractice some specialists have to pay do mean that they have to charge a lot - obstetrics and anaesthetics are particularly high apparently)

Another (tiny) benefit is that if you have private health you dont have to pay the 1% medicare surcharge (you have to pay the standard medicare levy, everyone does unless they are very poor but the surcharge is only for people who dont have private medical).

Just had another thought, if you have to pay out of pocket medical expenses - including the gap, medications etc over a certain amount each year, you can claim some of that on your tax.

ianandhelena

true-if you look at this site there's more info about it:

http://www.stlukes.com.au/lifetime.asp#13

especially para. 2 of the answer to Q1, and the answer to Q 13.