Health insurance question
 

The wife of a friend of mine has recently been diagnosed with cancer in one kidney and is on the category one priority list to have the kidney removed meaning the operation is promised to take place within a month on Medicare. The friend and his wife have private medical insurance and he believes the operation can be fast-tracked on private and understandably he is very worried so is urging her to do that. But she is of the opinion that it wont make any difference time-wise and will only mean that on private they will have to pay for the fees that the health insurance doesn't cover whereas on Medicare everything is paid for. Is she correct? Does anyone have any experience of this that they can share? Thanks.

Re: Health insurance question
 

Sorry to hear that. I'm sure the best option would be to give the fund a call and ask them what the deal is. We're with HBF and they've always been very helpful when we've called them

Re: Health insurance question
 

Same with Medibank. I've called them a few times and they've always been really helpful.

Re: Health insurance question
 

That was my first thought for what to suggest but then I considered that insurers might not provide information that could encourage policyholders to make a claim. I suppose it does no harm for them to ask.

My thoughts are if going private brings forward the operation by even just a few days, then it'll be worth it.

Thanks for your responses.

Re: Health insurance question
 

That's not my experience. What you are entitled to is in your PDS but that can be hard reading. If you call them and they give you duff and/or false information, they are setting themselves up for pain. I've found my fund to be upfront with what we are allowed to claim for - and they can make things happen quickly if you are in real need of private care

Re: Health insurance question
 

That's not my experience at all either. I needed major surgery and my fund was more than helpful in finding a way for me to have it done at it's soonest in the least expensive (for me) way. The guy on the phone when I rang about my surgery asked why I had never claimed for my glasses/contacts and did I know I could go to the dentist free (excluding x-rays) every 6 months? He's the one who encouraged me to use my extras cover - after all, I'm paying for it.

Yes, a few days will lessen the stress for your friend and his wife. It will also give her the peace of mind to choose the surgeons and oncologists she wants without wondering whether it's the trainee surgical registrar or fellow who's doing her surgery. She will also see the consultant oncologist and not a different registrar every time she needs follow up. Honestly, I pay a shed load for my private insurance; way more than I can afford. But I work in a public hospital and as good as they are, I know I would rather recover in a private room in a private hospital than in a 4 bed mixed room in a public hospital. I only got home on Friday from my surgery but I can honestly say I cannot fault one thing about my experience at Hollywood, which is part of the Ramsay Group. I chose my surgeon, chose my anaesthetist, and said when I wanted it done. Best of everything for your friends. A cancer diagnosis can be a really frightening thing.

Re: Health insurance question
 

I chose to pay Health Private insurance when deciding to go for Cochlear Implantation. You just need to be sure before getting a policy, that what you want/need is covered. I'm going to do my second Cochlear Implant surgery next week 5 months after the first one. Private health insurance has been worth it for me.

Re: Health insurance question
 

Update on this: My friend spoke to his medical insurer who provided him with a list of questions and confirmations to ask the private surgeons, etc that would enable him to pay no more than $500 excess. He sought out this information without his wife's knowledge to save her the worry and assuming she would say a very enthusiastic "yes please!" to an operation "tomorrow" instead of the one 4 weeks away but apparently she wasn't at all pleased (:blink:). She's a very determined lady and extremely adamant that she shall wait the 4 weeks for the public system operation (:blink::blink:).

Re: Health insurance question
 

Re: Health insurance question
 

I agree, though if I understood correctly the surgeon would have been the same and the op carried out at the same hospital, just done much sooner. Still struggling to understand why someone would choose to keep a cancerous organ in their body for even a minute longer than they have to.

Re: Health insurance question
 

especially in Canberra, where surgery gets delayed at the drop of a hat!