Private Health Insurance & Roadside Assistance & CTP Green Slip & Car Wash

• 

  battler on 05/08/2013 - 20:23

  3) Compulsory CTP covers injury to the people you hit, as opposed to the car you hit.
  http://www.greenslips.com.au/about-greenslips/what-is-a-gree…

• 

  mskeggs on 05/08/2013 - 20:56

  All opinion, obviously:
  1) Private health insurance is poor value unless you have ongoing health problems. They don't offer you all those sneakers and things for free out of their generosity. As you are young, your premiums will be paying the claims of the aged. Be aware that all medically necessary treatment is covered for free on medicare, but you might have to go on a waiting list for some things. If you choose, you can always pay to avoid the wait.
  There are no levies until you earn over $84k for singles, and the age based rate only applies after 30yrs.
  2) the cheap guys are OK if you are exclusively in Sydney, you need NRMA if you do much driving outside the metro area.
  4) In your drive way, this is OzBargain!!!

  • 

    Willy Bargin on 06/08/2013 - 18:13

    sorry but Your comment is Barbaric - you should never suggest to any one / any thing about there health
    If the OP want health insurance you should try to help find some thing best suited for them - NOT let your views change his mine

    • 

      mskeggs on 07/08/2013 - 13:21

      +1

      What urgent medical treatment would private cover bring that isn't covered by Medicare? What non-urgent medical treatment can you get from private cover that you cannot get from paying cash at a hospital?
      Just because you have been conned into giving away your money without understanding the system, doesn't make me barbaric.
      You need to learn how private insurance works, and the most important fact is young people pay much more than they use to subsidise the elderly.

  • 

    Geewhizz on 07/08/2013 - 05:48

    1) Private health insurance is poor value unless you have ongoing health problems.

    Unless you get sick, or have an accident. If you need treatment today, you need it today, not in 6 or 12 or 18 months time.

    • 

      mskeggs on 07/08/2013 - 13:26

      See above. If you have a medical emergency there is almost always no private option, you need a public hospital that will be covered by Medicare.
      If you require non-urgent medical treatment there is sometimes a waiting list for Medicare. If you have no health insurance and won't wait, you can pay the hospital bill yourself.
      Young people by definition almost always pay much more in premiums than they claim (it is the reverse for the aged). Private health cover is loss making for young people unless they have chronic medical problems or are very unlucky.

      • 

        Willy Bargin on 07/08/2013 - 20:46

        i hope you never need a knee replacement or even some thing like colonoscopy

        Man with cancer waits 15 months for colonoscopy
        http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2011/s3362144.htm

        like any thing in life - you want any thing done , you have to pay for it

      • 

        mskeggs on 07/08/2013 - 21:49

        +1

        I understand you are very scared of medical issues, and don't see paying hundreds or thousands a year when you are young and healthy for insurance you will likely never need is a problem, but it is.
        Private insurers charge lots of money and hope you never make a claim.
        That is their business model. They particularly exploit young, healthy people like the original poster to prop up their finances when paying for older peoples claims.
        The example you give, of a 60 year old awaiting a colonoscopy is disappointing, but really shows you again fail to understand my point:
        - private health cover is poor value for young, healthy people
        - if you are unlucky enough to need treatment and will not wait, it is possible to pay for it. This study (http://www.une.edu.au/business-school/working-papers/economi…) cites the cost of a colonoscopy at $754.

        So it is very likely that the saddening example you cited would have been financially better for the man to not have private cover, as his premium would likely exceed the cost of paying for a colonoscopy out of pocket.

        And you had to go back to 2011 to find an example of an older person who was waiting for a pretty inexpensive procedure. Is that because the risk you suggest exists i.e. that a young healthy person will need treatment not provided by Medicare in a timely fashion is so rare you couldn't find any examples at all?

        I hope neither of us needs a knee replacement or colonoscopy, but they are not things young, healthy people are getting very often.

      • 

        Willy Bargin on 08/08/2013 - 20:22

        this happen to me 3 months ago
        27 M ( central coast NSW )
        was admitted to hospital in may 2013

        1) Not to bitch about gosford hospital - but long story short the doctor discharge me as a outpatient to get follow up as " i wasnt going to die "

        i need to have a colonoscopy to rule out problem i was with my stomach.

        i rang around every gastrologist from newcastle to north shore ( sydney ).

        Believe me , i rang 32 different doctor
        every single one first thing they ask was " do you have private health"

        public - the best booking i could get was first appointment in 8 week and colonoscopy in 4 months = $140 for appointment free for colonoscopy - but was at Newcastle (belmont) ….. gosford was min 3 month appintment and colonoscopy 8 month , sydney was even worst

        As soon as i said can i pay Private they could get me into appointment with in the week ( gosford doctor was 2 week) but they all said i could get the colonoscopy within 4 week either at Central Coast Colorectal Surgery in Erina or the one base in newcatle )

        2) family member 49 F base in sydney need knees replace , she is on pandol fort and Morphine, and had to take unpaid leave as she cant walk

        Public best - 10 months she was bump up from 14 month as it was mistake from a past surgery
        Private - 8 week but yes she it out of pocket about $3,000

        although she out of pocket $3,000 she can get back to work at least 6 months.

        now there are thousand of story like our
        and i hope that you will never need it

        but just like car insurance ive haven't claim any thing since i got my P but i will glad if i need it (even a young "hoon" 27 m)

      • 

        Willy Bargin on 08/08/2013 - 20:35

        gees
        also - colonoscopy at $754. is total and utter BS - and your comment pointless

        you make out that you read the study - did you even notice it from 1997

        My Anesthesiologists alone cost $300 + and doctor and Surgry/hostpial cost was $900 and the rest was done through medicare

        i have had dental section that have cost more then $700

      • 

        mskeggs on 09/08/2013 - 18:13

        I'm sorry to hear you had some health issues, and would have had to wait several months for testing at no charge under Medicare.
        I am pleased to hear you were able to get the testing done for around $1200.
        Please remember we are not comparing instant, free service using PHI against delayed, free service from Medicare.
        For most insurance products there is a gap payment, so in addition to the annual insurance premium you would need to pay that charge, unless you were able to attend one of the "gap free" locations? But often those have waiting lists too.
        I appreciate the correction that my comment was pointless - I used the first costing I found, calculated by dividing the ttal cost of colonoscopies in the study by the number of patients. I agree that figure is out of date, but I had no better. Thanks for the clarification.
        I don't know whether you are a healthy person. If you are, then it must be disappointing to have paid premiums for private healthcare for many years and this relatively small procedure was your main claim. If you have many health issues, again I'm sorry to hear that, but I agree with you completely private insurance is the right choice if you are sickly.
        I have only been pointing out PHI is poor value for young, healthy people. That is because it is designed to be poor value, as the healthy members cross-subsidise the older members who make more claims.
        I note your other example of a 49yro. Well, I suppose we can call her young, but consider she had to pay $3000. Annoying, but she had the benefit of not paying insurance premiums for many years.
        A quick look at NIB (I am happy to choose another comparison if you feel that is a bad one) shows their basic hospital cover is $12 a week. $624 per year, and that includes a $500 excess. So if you had that cover last year it would have paid for your colonoscopy, but cost you $1124 in premiums and excess. Not a big saving compared to paying cash ($76). And of course, if you are well this year you will have paid $624 for no benefit.

        I appreciate that you have a fear that something costly may happen to your health that PHI would save you from, but the examples you have given strongly support my contention that PHI is poor value for the young and healthy, and even if you are unlucky and need treatment, it is available for around the charge that you would pay in premiums and excess.

        I understand this is an emotional topic for you. After all, what is closer than one's health? But besides calling me barbaric and my comments pointless you haven't really provided support that PHI is worthwhile for young, healthy people.

        Do you have any info that suggests it is?

• 

  Willy Bargin on 06/08/2013 - 18:37

  the bellow are only my personal view
  like every thing - it may be different to you

  Personally i think it wise to think about health insurance

  it like all insurance - you hate paying for it but your glad you have it when you need it

  i hope you will never have to use it :)

  only personal thoughts

  1)i have just spent the lasts 3 week looking to see where i should change. OMG it a pain in the bum -

  *I like non for profit insurance company like HCF ( i have sign up to them )
  have a look at the befits VS cost ,

  *i found bupa a waste of money compare to every befit on HFC Eg bupa 1 ambo vs HCF unlimited .

  *i found NIB pretty good for their young and single plan

  *Medibank i heard/read is the biggest and offer great plan but have there problems and extra cost

  it going to take you ages to find the best deal for you.
  i found that the whirlpool forum very useful
  have a look at iselect.com.au but dont buy the best deal they show you (they are normally the best commission first )

  maybe print out the top 3 plans and just view each deal and befits

  PS - Tip , once you found the best deal , have a look what special they have
  eg : 3 month free befits , free sports pack etc ,
  if you then go to eg iselect or compare the market - some time they offer a free $50 gift cards

  $44 per year sounds quite worth it!

  sound like a cheap piece of mind to me :)
  does it offer free towing ???????

  CTP Green Slip
  there all pretty much the same within a few dollars ($10 or so )
  www.greenslips.com.au/‎i would go with the same one you get your full insurance with , maybe they offer you a discount

  they only cover personal injury IE if you break some one leg or kill them
  it DOES NOT cover any of the cost to repair your car

  Compulsory third party insurance (CTP) or ‘greenslip’, as it’s most commonly known as in NSW, is something all drivers are legally required to have in all states within Australia. It provides cover for legal liability for injury and death as a result of an accident for which the insured is responsible – be it for other drivers, passengers, pedestrians or cyclists. In most states this is included in your registration fees, however if you’re from QLD or NSW you have the option of choosing a CTP provider.

• 

  illumination on 07/08/2013 - 23:15

  Thanks for the input so far guys.
  @mskeggs RE: Health insurance
  The main concern I have about private health insurance (PHI) is that if I were to get it when I'm older (i.e. when I'm more likely to need it as a result of deteriorating health), it'll be a lot more expensive to pick up the insurance then.
  I am aware that they have something like stepped and levelled premiums - which I would assume is somewhat similar to income protection (I actually have levelled income protection, and it's the same story - I highly doubt I'll need it now but since it is levelled and it's cheaper to get it younger, I thought it would be a good idea + it's tax deductible).
  At this point in time, I understand that getting stepped premiums will definitely be cheaper relative to levelled premiums but I'm looking more long term. In other words, I get the feeling that although I am young and healthy now, it'll be much more worth it to get PHI now as opposed to later.
  Unless of course what you're saying is it is still more worth it overall to just simply not get PHI altogether, and just pay for any medical emergencies that I have in the future outright (which I would be happy to do if it works out cheaper overall).
  From what you said, only when you hit 30 will you start paying more for your premiums with PHI? Is that right? i.e. I should just get PHI when I'm 30 and get it on levelled premium?
  Re: car wash
  Of course driveway would be an option but I live in a unit! And I'm more concerned about washing the seats. The exterior is no biggie.

  @billyboy402
  It says 20km metro towing on their page. But it's for Sydney residents only. Still seems pretty decent though!

• 

  Willy Bargin on 08/08/2013 - 20:40

  personally i would get some PHI
  it not a matter if you will use it but a matter of when

  if you earn over $84K , the no reason why you wouldn't get it as your paying the same amount in tax