markandgill

I have recently taken out Medibank Private health insurance and am actually thinking it is a bit of a waste of money, kinna took it out just before we were here a year so we wouldnt get stung with the 2% loading thing, We pay approx $200 a month for this, just wondering really is it worth it??? My son has been told he needs his tonsils out and the only surgeon in town is in a private hospital, I was under the impression that we would have to pay for the operation if we didnt have pricate medical insurance, but have found out that they just put you on the public system and it may take up to 12 months to get the operation, which isnt really any different from the NHS, Any advice or experience would be grateful

Gill

lonndongeek

Outside of the tax benefits, the main benefit of private health insurance is to jump queues.

If you have any hostpital treatment under the insurance, it's likely that all of your hospital fees will be paid for, but there may be some gaps for you to pay for doctor/anaesthetist fees.

So...

The government sets a fee that it's willing to pay doctors for a service.
If you have health insurance, Medicare pays 75% of this fee, your insurance pays the other 25%. Anything etra on top is known as a 'gap' that you have to pay.

As an example, the government fee for a brainectomy is $1,000. But the surgeon you see privately charges $1,250for the procedure. In this case Medicare/your health fund pay $1,000 between them, you pay the $250 out of your own pocket.

Confused? Welcome to the club!

Cheers

Steve

asher

medibank private is expensive have a look at the others some dont cover as much but are way cheaper x

eddie007

We have HBF ... didn't think there was much point... until I needed dental work... ... and you may as well be able to claim the extra benefits that you get... rather than pay the levy for "nothing"

what you CAN'T afford to be without is your ambulance cover... that is VITAL....

Mumbles just had elective surgery at PMH, we didn't see any difference... same surgeon, same hospital, same nurses, I slept on the same floor during his stay... but they were able to claim money back from HBF which in turn freed up their money... and no GAP either...