Private Health insurance increases.. Grrr

[Charliewool]

Just received our "smack in the mouth" letter from Medibank private...
Gone up from $506.20 per month to $571.60.. A whooping 12%!
This is for the 2 of us, hospital only (no extras)
My mrs has had private health cover for 20 yrs, me only 8 yrs. And NEVER used it!
Seriously.. How in the hell do they substantiate an increase like this and what bloody incentive is there to keep paying nearly 7 grand a year?
Rant over!

[Buttnekid]

Mate there is something seriously wrong with your premiums. I dont get any rebate, have one level down from top hospital and extra cover for my wife, my 2yo son and myself and we pay $280 per month with HBF

[Charliewool]

Rang them last year.. Our ages are a factor, (both 58) as is my lifetime loading (only being in it 8 yrs) Zero Gov. rebate doesn't help either.

[MAGPIE]

Jesus wept and I choke at the thought of paying $188 p/m.

Our family has had $20k plus worth of claims over the last 5 years so has been worthwhile.

[Sam_Boss260]

Yep, got ours yesterday from BUPA. I think it was an extra $45 per month. We use it a bit with the kids. But still, if you put away $450 per month over a year, I'm sure that it would more than cover the things we use it for.
However, like any insurance, it is the big things that would be expensive like hell that you want that cover at the time.

[Uncle Niceguy]

That's ridiculous charliewool l get basic hospital and silver extras and only pay circa $100 p/m through people care.
Oh and I am single 25y.o smoker

[mr smith]

Private health is a rort. Everyone should give it the flick and see how they drop the prices

[MDS69]

Originally Posted by mr smith

Private health is a rort. Everyone should give it the flick and see how they drop the prices

OK you go first.

Seriously it is call insurance.
Is your car insured, your house....

A bloke at work here had a mate whose car caught on fire in a motel car park with his bags etc still in the car. Not insured (third party only if he hit someone else). Figured he was in front financially on vehicle worth verse how much he would have paid over the years. Trouble is he now has to find $10k to replace his car which is probably what he would have saved but did he save it if you get what I mean.

I don't like the cost of private health insurance and especially how you can still be out of pocket so much but it is a necessary evil.

My 70 year old mum needs a knee replacement. Apparently the waiting list is huge for the public system. It is quicker for her to join a health fund for 12 months (waiting period) and also as a benefit get the doctor of her choice than it is to wait for the public system

[Ross 1]

Originally Posted by MDS69

I don't like the cost of private health insurance and especially how you can still be out of pocket so much but it is a necessary evil.

My 70 year old mum needs a knee replacement. Apparently the waiting list is huge for the public system. It is quicker for her to join a health fund for 12 months (waiting period) and also as a benefit get the doctor of her choice than it is to wait for the public system

I'm in the same situation, took nearly 3 years for my first knee op going public. When it was my turn great service, great surgeon. Have been waiting nearly 2 and half years for my next one with no clue as to how much longer, joined a health fund in June last year, so if the public system doesn't call by then I will get it done privately. Have been using Health.com, covers everything including extras and I am only paying $340 a month for four of us, seems good compared to some of the prices quoted on here.

[bobthebilda]

The wife had health insurance before we met (has since let it lapse), I have never had it. Two kids born in hospital, both kids have had 6 operations between them (including two heart operations), and nots including the stitch ups, bad flus etc, with numerous specislists follow ups. Total hospital costs must be over $200,000, total health premiums paid is $0. There are some horror stories out there where people are waiting years for hospital services, but they are the exception.

[champ]

Wow! We got health insurance when dd was two & I have to say, just between me & her, we would have had to sell the house to pay for our operations. But I must say in the meantime, its gone up by $2000 in just 8 years!!

[creative]

I have never understood this private healthcare thing. Do I need it? Can anyone give me a summary for a simpleton?

[GTPete]

I self insure by keeping fit and avoiding processed foods.

[Charliewool]

Originally Posted by GTPete

I self insure by keeping fit and avoiding processed foods.

Highly Commendable!! Just watch out for that bus... AND old age.

[Sam_Boss260]

Do you guys have young families? Orthodontics, physio, orthotics, dentists, optometrists
..... and that is with nothing going wrong with any hospital visits etc. Agree it is a fort, but the alternatives are?

[Charliewool]

Originally Posted by Sam_Boss260

Do you guys have young families? Orthodontics, physio, orthotics, dentists, optometrists
..... and that is with nothing going wrong with any hospital visits etc. Agree it is a fort, but the alternatives are?

Totally agree.. I had it for the birth of my kids plus all the above, dentists etc etc.. Private health with extras was a must have back then (and worth every cent!)
But Kids become adults.. Should you keep the private cover??

Really starting to question if its worth it now?

[MercurySilver]

Yeah got it.
Haven't checked the price rise yet but ive got a feeling I'll be shopping aroundnext month

[GTPete]

As an individual or couple with no kids (grown up kids) who are in good health and have had minimal health issues in the past, don't smoke, not obese, have regular check ups and generally look after yourself you would have to question the value of health cover?
Depending on your income the Medicare levy is not enough of a deterrent to push you into a fund and that lifetime loading penalty is just BS, what a rort that is.

Despite the waiting times we have a very good (tax payer funded) health system available to all Australians.

[Dash_XR]

Originally Posted by GTPete

As an individual or couple with no kids (grown up kids) who are in good health and have had minimal health issues in the past, don't smoke, not obese, have regular check ups and generally look after yourself you would have to question the value of health cover?
Depending on your income the Medicare levy is not enough of a deterrent to push you into a fund and that lifetime loading penalty is just BS, what a rort that is.

Despite the waiting times we have a very good (tax payer funded) health system available to all Australians.

I'm starting to agree, does health insurance even work? I paid 3k in to get 900 back? What's the point?

[GSP07R]

My increase is $8 a week for a family of 4.
2nd from top cover with HFC.

My 2nd (2yo) kid has a turned eye and having the health care is worth it.

[Eaturbo]

My bill for my kids at birth was $144,000. Lucky we had private health. Twins born at 30 weeks and 10 weeks in hospital. They will be waiting a while to get there money back from me.

[MAD]

Originally Posted by Eaturbo

My bill for my kids at birth was $144,000. Lucky we had private health. Twins born at 30 weeks and 10 weeks in hospital. They will be waiting a while to get there money back from me.

Isn't the reason the bill was so high in the first place (or the fact you even saw the bill) because you had private health cover? What was your out of pocket expense if you don't mind me asking?


I ask because it seems that people with private cover like to justify the system by quoting these giant figures.


I have no idea how much my hernia repair cost about 10 years ago, but I'm sure it was more than a few weeks wages. That was in the public system. Didn't see the bill, didn't pay a cent. (directly anyway)

[paulb351]

All those without insurance and needing non life threatening operations, let's say knee replacement will enjoy the long wait on the public waiting queue... Insurance allows avoiding waiting.

[icantgetthis]

Originally Posted by paulb351

All those without insurance and needing non life threatening operations, let's say knee replacement will enjoy the long wait on the public waiting queue... Insurance allows avoiding waiting.

Both my elderly parents have had knee replacements. Only waited around 6 months each.

Wife blew out her knee at netball and only waited 55 days for acl replacement surgery and is going to physio and special acl knee clinic all for nothing.

I can't see it being too bad.

I'm guessing some circumstances would be different but life in general is a risk.

[Polyal]

Yeah as above, like all insurances can you afford to not have it when something out of the blue happens.

Its a horrible catch 22. If it wasnt for the kids I dont think I would have it either. Just put the money aside and rough out the public system. Which really isnt bad for the majority of stuff, if your in real trouble sometimes your private insurance will send you toa public site anyway!

[OLD BALDY]

I agree is it worth it! I am 76, been in private health funds with extras since Jesus was a boy. Never been on medication, no diabetes or colestrol problems, used for glasses and dental only over the years. As Charliewool says, watch out for the bus and OLD AGE, last Nov had Bowel cancer removed an now on Chemo. God knows what it's cost HCF and Medicare. Keep paying!

[Yellow_Festiva]

I started off with health insurance to not pay the levy after you turn 30 or 32 or whatever the age was where it kicks in.

Then got hitched and combined with my wife.

Along come baby number 1 and while we did pay a little more than going public for everything it is well worth the cost.

We had our own double room measuring some 4x7 metres with double hospital bed. I stayed with my wife the whole time she was in hospital (1 week). We were even allowed to stay an extra day as our discharge day happened to fall on a public holiday 'just in case'.

We were never pushed to leave or vacate the room and we were treated very well with our own doctors.

My daughter had some minor complications but they were well looked after and I was at ease seeing the level of care my wife and daughter received.

On the other hand, I know of a close family friend who had no insurance and was moved around a lot (3 places?) when their child was born unwell and were asked to leave a little on the early side. Hubby was not able to stay with mum at all and was offered off site share accommodation and after a 'mus-understanding' they were asked (forced) to leave the hospital at something stupid like 11pm..

We make enough money to pay the premiums - right now it isn't worth it for us financially but you never know what the future brings.

[Polyal]

Oh birth is a different kettle of fish.

Depends on where you live. Our first three had private, then the last one was public and for 99% of it the service was the same. Mind you this was ni Hobart and not Melb western suburbs so its different.

many public rural (large) hospitals also offer really good service.

We probably got lucky but had our own room for the three days, I could stay at no charge, didnt change rooms etc...It made me wonder why I paid for the premiums and then then the additional doctor costs ($2-3k) when we went through the Epworth at Melbourne.

I think out of pocket at Hobart wouldnt have cracked $100...and thats because I was getting food from outside.

Whats outrageous is that at the Epworth you get a week stay at the Hilton, room service etc. Which is awesome but a blight on our system if thats the most efficient way to do it!

[jpblue1000]

my partner and I have the top health care for younger people, no need for the 'old people' stuff yet, with one of the most popular insurance providers.
We had an emergency last year after a failed ectopic pregnancy which ruptured despite a doctor categorically stating it wasn't ectopic, she didn't need a scan and there was nothing wrong with her, and I rushed her to hospital and over the next 3 hours her heart pumped 80% of her blood into her abdominal cavity while the private hospital emergency department determined what was wrong.
As we went to a private hospital, it was closets and car was pointed that way, we were charged an admission fee of about 500 dollars, this was not covered by our private health insurance as we elected to go to that hospital, secondly we were transferred after 6 units of blood to the Womens and Childrens hospital in the public system, the ambulance transfer was not covered by our insurance either as it was a transfer. once we hit the hospital we were public patients and insurance wiped their hands of us. We argued the ambulance but lost with the admission fee. at the W&C we were greeted by 12 surgery staff at 3:30 am and all was resolved in quick time.
Like all insurance they tried to wriggle out of paying for anything, the public system reimbursed the private hospital their charges? I just don't get how it all works.
Yet we can walk into our local dentist 3 times a year present our insurance card and have work done at twice the price the dentist charges non insurance work.
Its a bloody rort, but i'm not sure what our alternatives are, we are expecting another baby in a few weeks and will keep paying until I work it all out or forever whichever comes first.
Insurance my ***!

JP

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Originally Posted by jpblue1000

Yet we can walk into our local dentist 3 times a year present our insurance card and have work done at twice the price the dentist charges non insurance work.
Its a bloody rort, but i'm not sure what our alternatives are, we are expecting another baby in a few weeks and will keep paying until I work it all out or forever whichever comes first.
Insurance my ***!

JP

I always laugh whenever I walk into any medical practice, and the first thing they ask is whether you are public or private!

Why? What difference does it make? Will the service I get be any different? Do you need to raise different paperwork to cover the different system?

Of course not. It simply determines how much they charge!!

A rort it is. But one of the games that we must play, unfortunately......

Craig H