Do You Have Private Health Cover?

[Q.]

$500 worth of dental done this arvo and didn't pay a cent

Yeah you did. How much do you pay a month for private?

I pay about $1100 a year and save about 3/4 of it from extras cover. The rest pays for knowing I'm set if I need surgery from a football injury.

[Ron Burgundy]

Purchasing insurance is simply transferring risk to the insurance company.

Approx half of Australians choose to transfer the risk of an adverse health event to the insurance company. I am one of these.

Last year the premium for my family was $3K. We had $2.3k in claims. Very rarely will this be a 1:1 relationship. If you have a look at a Insurance companies reports this will possibly never happen. We have experienced shoulder reconstructions, sporting injuries, major dental, that have all had major benefits.

I am not looking to fully recover all of my insurance expense. I am looking to pass the financial risk that something does happen to the insurance company. I pay a fortnightly amount, and for as long as I hold the policy I know that I am protected if the unforeseen occurs.

Same goes with house and car insurance. Not for everyone, and many think they can beat the system. And the occasional story gets heard about the bloke who put the money aside each fortnight and was squillions ahead by the time he was an old prick. But very few have the discipline to do this.

[Psyber]

Meantime, elsewhere in the health system: http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/news ... zNzA3NzES1

The biggest hole at the heart of the $650 million GP super clinic program has been lack of doctors, a major investigation confirms.
The long-awaited report, compiled by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) to examine the Federal Government’s flagship primary care reform, concluded that “attracting and retaining clinic staff was by far the most significant challenge in establishing the clinics and providing the full range of services”.

The $25 million Modbury clinic near Adelaide — one of the biggest super clinics built — has still only managed to recruit 2.2 FTE GPs and one FTE nurse.
The $25 million Noarlunga Clinic, also near Adelaide, has 2.5 FTE GPs and one FTE nurse on staff.
All the doctors were sourced from a large GP practice located nearby.

In an analysis of 18 clinics announced in 2007, the audit office found that nine clinics had yet to prove they were financially viable and only 10 clinics could show they were hitting staffing targets in terms of GP, nurse and allied health numbers. Four were failing and another four could not provide information to answer the question.

Long-running accusations that the program was an exercise in Labor Party pork barrelling prior to both the 2007 and 2010 federal elections also found some justification in the ANAO findings.

[Mickyj]

$500 worth of dental done this arvo and didn't pay a cent

Yeah you did. How much do you pay a month for private?

I pay about $1100 a year and save about 3/4 of it from extras cover. The rest pays for knowing I'm set if I need surgery from a football injury.

Your lucky I was quoted over 2'500 a year because I couldn't afford it when I was first married and had to let it go.
Now at 50 I'm priced out of the market and having so many tests I'm paying for .Having a second CT scan and a MRI this week 900 bucks get 760 back !!
But I managed to convince a cardiologist and a GEneral physician to bulk bill me with every visit . All because my GP said I couldn't wait for my Public hospital visit !!

[Psyber]

Even my staunch ALP supporting father maintained private health cover right up and into his retirement.

It was easier to afford in those pre-Medicare/Medibank days because it was subsidised and administered by unpaid volunteers, or by the staff of lodges like the Rechabites, or by the Unions themselves as part of their services to members.

But he bought the Whitlam era propaganda about Medicare it is first manifestation as "Medibank".
Of course the Unions walked out then too.

After his death my sister and I signed our mother up again when the companies were offering concessions to gain membership share, and paid it for her.

I transferred from the family cover to my own cover when I married, while still a final year uni Student.
So I've had private cover all my life.

[Mickyj]

Even my staunch ALP supporting father maintained private health cover right up and into his retirement.

It was easier to afford in those pre-Medicare/Medibank days because it was subsidised and administered by unpaid volunteers, or by the staff of lodges like the Rechabites, or by the Unions themselves as part of their services to members.

But he bought the Whitlam era propaganda about Medicare it is first manifestation as "Medibank".
Of course the Unions walked out then too.

After his death my sister and I signed our mother up again when the companies were offering concessions to gain membership share, and paid it for her.

I transferred from the family cover to my own cover when I married, while still a final year uni Student.
So I've had private cover all my life.

Or at one stage like places like FSMA these days called national pharmacies .
Well must say its my problem. But like so many other low paid workers in my age group its beyond us .
Such is life either I wait and go public or pay like I am doing and find out faster !!

[Mickyj]

Just saw a BUPA ad 12.50 a week if you earn under $84'000. I'd have it in a minute if that was for us 50 or over ! Let alone even half of $84'000

[Psyber]

Even my staunch ALP supporting father maintained private health cover right up and into his retirement.

It was easier to afford in those pre-Medicare/Medibank days because it was subsidised and administered by unpaid volunteers, or by the staff of lodges like the Rechabites, or by the Unions themselves as part of their services to members...

Or at one stage like places like FSMA these days called national pharmacies.
Well must say its my problem. But like so many other low paid workers in my age group its beyond us .
Such is life either I wait and go public or pay like I am doing and find out faster !!

Yes, in the early days my father was a member of the Railway Workers Fund AND the FSMA because both memberships were subsidised and affordable, and for a while there he could claim bills on both and make a profit. After that ended his union fund merged into NHSA which also involved the FSMA. I stayed with them initially, then went to Mutual Community.

I left Mutual Community when they came up with the idea of you being only able to see specialists who contracted with them to take a lower than usual fee - maximum 3% above the government's Medicare Benefits Schedule, IIRC - I want to see the best person in the field, not the cheapest!

[Mickyj]

Even my staunch ALP supporting father maintained private health cover right up and into his retirement.

It was easier to afford in those pre-Medicare/Medibank days because it was subsidised and administered by unpaid volunteers, or by the staff of lodges like the Rechabites, or by the Unions themselves as part of their services to members...

Or at one stage like places like FSMA these days called national pharmacies.
Well must say its my problem. But like so many other low paid workers in my age group its beyond us .
Such is life either I wait and go public or pay like I am doing and find out faster !!

Yes, in the early days my father was a member of the Railway Workers Fund AND the FSMA because both memberships were subsidised and affordable, and for a while there he could claim bills on both and make a profit. After that ended his union fund merged into NHSA which also involved the FSMA. I stayed with them initially, then went to Mutual Community.

I left Mutual Community when they came up with the idea of you being only able to see specialists who contracted with them to take a lower than usual fee - maximum 3% above the government's Medicare Benefits Schedule, IIRC - I want to see the best person in the field, not the cheapest!

When I get some free time and not doing health tests I'm going to compare Bupa and medibank private etc and see if I am being ripped off

[Psyber]

When I get some free time and not doing health tests I'm going to compare Bupa and medibank private etc and see if I am being ripped off

On a quick look NIB don't look bad.

[Mickyj]

When I get some free time and not doing health tests I'm going to compare Bupa and medibank private etc and see if I am being ripped off

On a quick look NIB don't look bad.

cheers