Medical Insurance
Feb 7th 2007, 9:19 am
#1
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Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Darwin, NT
Posts: 380
Medical Insurance
I had my first visit to the dentist last night. A check-up, a couple of x-rays and a clean came to $233.50. Thankfully my med insurance (HCF) covered most of it but anyone thinking of not getting med insurance - you have been warned!
Sue
Sue
Feb 7th 2007, 4:56 pm
#2
STRIKE HARD STRIKE SURE
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 168
Re: Medical Insurance
It's just as pricey in the UK, thats if you are lucky enough to have a dentist as they seem to be getting into a short supply.
Feb 7th 2007, 11:46 pm
#3
has lost The Game
Joined: Apr 2005
Location: Chippendale, Sydney
Posts: 8,735
Re: Medical Insurance
That seems reasonable value to me...
S
Feb 8th 2007, 1:28 am
#4
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Joined: Aug 2006
Location: WA but NOT Perth!!!!!
Posts: 3,318
Re: Medical Insurance
I still cant decide whether it's actually worth paying for medical insurance
we took it out within the 6 months of being here so we got the loading thing waived, and it cost a lot of money which we paid in full for this year as we still all our savings sitting there, but this year we'll have to do it monthly and DH is on a crap wage at the mo.
the only thing we will claim (all things being well of course!) is for the birth of our baby, which just basically means i get a private room for up to 4 days..... otherwise if we were on medicare it would all be covered anyway, just in a public ward. i still have to pay for all the obs appointments and scans, and just claim back whatever medicare gives, private covers none of this.
i do have to question, was paying the $$$s really worth just this benefit?
can anyone tell me exactly how private insurance is better than just having medicare, other than I know if you're above a certain salary threshold you have to pay more as this is totally irrelevant to our current situation.
does it give you any priority if you needed non-emergency surgery/treatment?
ta
we took it out within the 6 months of being here so we got the loading thing waived, and it cost a lot of money which we paid in full for this year as we still all our savings sitting there, but this year we'll have to do it monthly and DH is on a crap wage at the mo.
the only thing we will claim (all things being well of course!) is for the birth of our baby, which just basically means i get a private room for up to 4 days..... otherwise if we were on medicare it would all be covered anyway, just in a public ward. i still have to pay for all the obs appointments and scans, and just claim back whatever medicare gives, private covers none of this.
i do have to question, was paying the $$$s really worth just this benefit?
can anyone tell me exactly how private insurance is better than just having medicare, other than I know if you're above a certain salary threshold you have to pay more as this is totally irrelevant to our current situation.
does it give you any priority if you needed non-emergency surgery/treatment?
ta
Feb 8th 2007, 1:42 am
#5
has lost The Game
Joined: Apr 2005
Location: Chippendale, Sydney
Posts: 8,735
Re: Medical Insurance
I still cant decide whether it's actually worth paying for medical insurance
we took it out within the 6 months of being here so we got the loading thing waived, and it cost a lot of money which we paid in full for this year as we still all our savings sitting there, but this year we'll have to do it monthly and DH is on a crap wage at the mo.
the only thing we will claim (all things being well of course!) is for the birth of our baby, which just basically means i get a private room for up to 4 days..... otherwise if we were on medicare it would all be covered anyway, just in a public ward. i still have to pay for all the obs appointments and scans, and just claim back whatever medicare gives, private covers none of this.
i do have to question, was paying the $$$s really worth just this benefit?
can anyone tell me exactly how private insurance is better than just having medicare, other than I know if you're above a certain salary threshold you have to pay more as this is totally irrelevant to our current situation.
does it give you any priority if you needed non-emergency surgery/treatment?
ta
we took it out within the 6 months of being here so we got the loading thing waived, and it cost a lot of money which we paid in full for this year as we still all our savings sitting there, but this year we'll have to do it monthly and DH is on a crap wage at the mo.
the only thing we will claim (all things being well of course!) is for the birth of our baby, which just basically means i get a private room for up to 4 days..... otherwise if we were on medicare it would all be covered anyway, just in a public ward. i still have to pay for all the obs appointments and scans, and just claim back whatever medicare gives, private covers none of this.
i do have to question, was paying the $$$s really worth just this benefit?
can anyone tell me exactly how private insurance is better than just having medicare, other than I know if you're above a certain salary threshold you have to pay more as this is totally irrelevant to our current situation.
does it give you any priority if you needed non-emergency surgery/treatment?
ta
I've been wondering the same thing myself. It seems that these policies are all well and good until you actually need to claim on them, when, magically, what you need to claim for isn't covered.
I do have the tax thing to contend with, but it seems that the policies are mainly aimed at costing exactly what the additional tax would be, and the amount of money you get back, particularly on the extras cover, is paltry. There seem to be so many exclusions, get outs and non payment clauses that it has left me feeling quite cynical towards the insurers.
I (sadly) have had far more exposure to the health system here than I would have like since I arrived, and I have found the public system to be first class and extremely efficient. I am wondering whether I may just pay the extra tax, and let the government put it back into the public system, or build an aircraft carrier, desalination plant, nuclear power station or something, instead of lining a health funds pockets.
Very unsure...
S
Feb 8th 2007, 1:42 am
#6
Senior Stella Member
Joined: Oct 2003
Location: Brisbane, QLD
Posts: 394
Re: Medical Insurance
I'd be interested to see everyone's thoughts - I'm just weighing up whether to take out Medibank or MBF. So far we have survived on the Medicare cover but it's always the unknown that comes up to bite you in the ass......
Feb 8th 2007, 2:13 am
#7
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Joined: Jun 2003
Location: Sydney beachside
Posts: 3,505
Re: Medical Insurance
can anyone tell me exactly how private insurance is better than just having medicare, other than I know if you're above a certain salary threshold you have to pay more as this is totally irrelevant to our current situation.
does it give you any priority if you needed non-emergency surgery/treatment?
ta
does it give you any priority if you needed non-emergency surgery/treatment?
ta
It probably isn't really essential at the current stage of your life. All medical emergencies are catered for really well with Medicare.
It's when you get older that you'll wish you had it. Like if you get diagnosed with cancer or need a hip replacement and you have to wait for treatment because there are waiting lists in the public system. If you have private cover then the public waiting lists don't apply - you can see the best consultants immediately and get whatever needs done in a private hospital.
The problems in the past have been due to too many people not taking out private insurance when they were younger (like you, they didn't expect to use it much) and then expecting to join years later when they started getting old and sick. That's why the government has made it easier for younger people to join (they get 30% discount) and why you now get slugged a premium for each year you wait before you join a fund.
Feb 8th 2007, 2:26 am
#8
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Joined: Aug 2006
Location: WA but NOT Perth!!!!!
Posts: 3,318
Re: Medical Insurance
It's when you get older that you'll wish you had it. Like if you get diagnosed with cancer or need a hip replacement and you have to wait for treatment because there are waiting lists in the public system. If you have private cover then the public waiting lists don't apply - you can see the best consultants immediately and get whatever needs done in a private hospital.
Feb 8th 2007, 2:38 am
#9
has lost The Game
Joined: Apr 2005
Location: Chippendale, Sydney
Posts: 8,735
Re: Medical Insurance
It probably isn't really essential at the current stage of your life. All medical emergencies are catered for really well with Medicare.
It's when you get older that you'll wish you had it. Like if you get diagnosed with cancer or need a hip replacement and you have to wait for treatment because there are waiting lists in the public system. If you have private cover then the public waiting lists don't apply - you can see the best consultants immediately and get whatever needs done in a private hospital.
The problems in the past have been due to too many people not taking out private insurance when they were younger (like you, they didn't expect to use it much) and then expecting to join years later when they started getting old and sick. That's why the government has made it easier for younger people to join (they get 30% discount) and why you now get slugged a premium for each year you wait before you join a fund.
It's when you get older that you'll wish you had it. Like if you get diagnosed with cancer or need a hip replacement and you have to wait for treatment because there are waiting lists in the public system. If you have private cover then the public waiting lists don't apply - you can see the best consultants immediately and get whatever needs done in a private hospital.
The problems in the past have been due to too many people not taking out private insurance when they were younger (like you, they didn't expect to use it much) and then expecting to join years later when they started getting old and sick. That's why the government has made it easier for younger people to join (they get 30% discount) and why you now get slugged a premium for each year you wait before you join a fund.
You seem to know what you are talking about - do you think the extras are worthwhile, or should one just plump for hospital cover.
HCF do a reasonable Hospital only cover for about $36 a month, which I didn't think was too bad, and well below the Medicare surcharge bill amount.
S
Feb 8th 2007, 3:02 am
#10
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Joined: Jun 2003
Location: Sydney beachside
Posts: 3,505
Re: Medical Insurance
You seem to know what you are talking about - do you think the extras are worthwhile, or should one just plump for hospital cover.
HCF do a reasonable Hospital only cover for about $36 a month, which I didn't think was too bad, and well below the Medicare surcharge bill amount.
S
HCF do a reasonable Hospital only cover for about $36 a month, which I didn't think was too bad, and well below the Medicare surcharge bill amount.
S
If you're a single, have good teeth and don't wear glasses it's probably touch and go whether you need extras cover. You'd need to weigh up the cost of dental checkups against the cost of the extras premium.
As far as Hospital cover goes, we just have the cheapest, most basic Hospital cover with HBA. We've never claimed anything on it (had it about seven years?) We only have it so we don't have to pay the extra Medicare Levy PLUS it means we're in the system and won't get slugged with high premiums at a later date when we decide we need private cover.
Feb 8th 2007, 3:38 am
#11
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Joined: Apr 2005
Location: Chippendale, Sydney
Posts: 8,735
Re: Medical Insurance
Extras are good if you have kids. We have two, so we get a fair bit back from all our dentist bills plus we ALL wear glasses or contacts so we gain a bit there too.
If you're a single, have good teeth and don't wear glasses it's probably touch and go whether you need extras cover. You'd need to weigh up the cost of dental checkups against the cost of the extras premium.
As far as Hospital cover goes, we just have the cheapest, most basic Hospital cover with HBA. We've never claimed anything on it (had it about seven years?) We only have it so we don't have to pay the extra Medicare Levy PLUS it means we're in the system and won't get slugged with high premiums at a later date when we decide we need private cover.
If you're a single, have good teeth and don't wear glasses it's probably touch and go whether you need extras cover. You'd need to weigh up the cost of dental checkups against the cost of the extras premium.
As far as Hospital cover goes, we just have the cheapest, most basic Hospital cover with HBA. We've never claimed anything on it (had it about seven years?) We only have it so we don't have to pay the extra Medicare Levy PLUS it means we're in the system and won't get slugged with high premiums at a later date when we decide we need private cover.
One thing that did worry me was the concept of agreement hospitals, and that you could have all the cover in the world, but if the fund didn't have an agreement with the hospital that you needed the treatment from, then you just had to pay out yourself. Any clues on this?
S
Feb 8th 2007, 3:56 am
#12
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Joined: Jun 2003
Location: Sydney beachside
Posts: 3,505
Re: Medical Insurance
That sounds pretty much like what I was planning to do then.
One thing that did worry me was the concept of agreement hospitals, and that you could have all the cover in the world, but if the fund didn't have an agreement with the hospital that you needed the treatment from, then you just had to pay out yourself. Any clues on this?
S
One thing that did worry me was the concept of agreement hospitals, and that you could have all the cover in the world, but if the fund didn't have an agreement with the hospital that you needed the treatment from, then you just had to pay out yourself. Any clues on this?
S
I mean, if your policy covers it, then you should be able to claim. I would have thought they could encourage you to use their own private hospitals (by making it cheaper for you) but they couldn't force it.
Feb 8th 2007, 3:59 am
#13
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Joined: Apr 2005
Location: Chippendale, Sydney
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Re: Medical Insurance
I know that some funds do have arrangements with some private hospitals - and if you use those hospitals then the overall cost is less to you (ie. there are no or reduced gap amounts to pay or you're covered for a longer period in hospital) but I've never heard of any occasion where a fund would refuse to pay out at all for treatment that you're covered for.
I mean, if your policy covers it, then you should be able to claim. I would have thought they could encourage you to use their own private hospitals (by making it cheaper for you) but they couldn't force it.
I mean, if your policy covers it, then you should be able to claim. I would have thought they could encourage you to use their own private hospitals (by making it cheaper for you) but they couldn't force it.
Cheers,
S
Feb 8th 2007, 4:36 am
#14
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Joined: Sep 2006
Location: Perth, Northern Suburbs (Little Britain)
Posts: 537
Re: Medical Insurance
My little boy was complaining of tooth ache on Saturday. Took him to the dentist and was stung for $390.00. Worse still, I was advised he'd need three more appointments totalling another $750.00!!
Anyone know a work around here? Do the health plans cover you for dental treatment immediately?
Anyone know a work around here? Do the health plans cover you for dental treatment immediately?
Feb 8th 2007, 4:41 am
#15
has lost The Game
Joined: Apr 2005
Location: Chippendale, Sydney
Posts: 8,735
Re: Medical Insurance
My little boy was complaining of tooth ache on Saturday. Took him to the dentist and was stung for $390.00. Worse still, I was advised he'd need three more appointments totalling another $750.00!!
Anyone know a work around here? Do the health plans cover you for dental treatment immediately?
Anyone know a work around here? Do the health plans cover you for dental treatment immediately?
Most health plans require you to serve a waiting period for most things - usually either 2, 6 or 12 months.
Unfortunately, anything that they deem to be a pre-existing condition - whether you knew about it or not - requires a 1 year waiting period. From the experience s of my friends, they will pretty much write off anything that happens in the first year apart from emergency treatment as 'Pre-existing'.
S