Health Insurance Question

L[Deactivated] on 13/01/2015 - 11:03

Hi all,

I know this question has been asked numerous times. And of course it depends on the individual circumstances as to what you should want covered etc. Policy can range from $60 a month to $200 a month easy - usually the more you pay, the better the coverage.

Just wanted to see if anybody is in a similar boat to me.
Why I want private health insurance? Coverage for optical (wear specs and contacts) and dental (regular checkups, no major dentals needed..yet)
Not paying the medicare levy surcharge yet.
Just turned 30 this year so I avoided to hospital loading as well.
Female, have a partner but not having a family any time soon.

Current insurance: BUPA
Cover: Choices with 90% back
Premium: $1062 a year, approx $88.50 a month.
It covers some hospital but when I called BUPA for a gynae laparoscopy at a private hospital - there was minimal coverage with plenty of out of pocket expenses. Bit disappointing but I suppose I get what I pay for.
Pros: dental + optical pays 90% of my expenses - I use about $250 for dental a year and approx $200 for contact lenses.

Current situation: still needing optical (even though I would prefer an insurance company who will cover specsavers contact lens offers to be honest) and dental. Do not need any other extras covers. Currently seeing urologist and gynaecologist for a condition but am happy to pay out of pocket or go public as it's not serious.

I'm tempted to look around other health insurances but wasn't sure what most ppl in my situation are doing.

Any suggestions on where I should look (the usual iselect etc) or recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks Ozbargainers!

Health & Beauty

Comments

  • sagrules on 13/01/2015 - 11:41

    Check out Peoplecare Gold Extras. I use this myself and have for the last 5 years. I get $300 for optical - covers both contacts and spectacles (per person per year) and covers General dental with no annual limit.
    Otherwise they also have silver option covers $180 optical and 75% return on general dental. I have also bought contacts from specsavers and claimed online without any issues.

    If you sign up and refer me we will both get $50 gift card. PM me if interested.

    Just as additional info - I find their online system is really easy to use and can claim online which is then paid within a few days time.

    https://www.peoplecare.com.au/Members/Levels-of-Cover/Extras…

  • CyberMurning on 13/01/2015 - 13:05

    what people think about not taking hospital cover (over 30yo but not 50yo yet, healthy)?
    i know they will hit you with surcharge like 2% (anyone confirm this?)
    but i think much better (in $ saving) without hospital now and pay more later.

    • sagrules on 13/01/2015 - 13:23

      Does this apply to having PHI in general or has to be hospital cover - at the moment I only have Extras.

      • CyberMurning on 13/01/2015 - 13:34

        sorry i dont understand the relation with PHI… and your question.. which one apply to what?

        • sagrules on 13/01/2015 - 13:46

          I thought it was sufficient to have Extras cover only (via private health insurance) rather than hospital cover. But I have done some research and found that I am wrong.

          FYI to those interested:
          http://www.privatehealth.gov.au/healthinsurance/incentivessu…

        • Dumax on 13/01/2015 - 14:01

          @sagrules: Yes the Medicare LHC loading only relates to holding a sufficient level of Hospital cover (extras cover can't include any items that are claimable via medicare).

  • CyberMurning on 13/01/2015 - 15:03
    +2

    well, OP what if you drop the hospital all together? i paid only $16.50 per MONTH compare with yours $88 :)
    you have 3 years less 1 day without hospital to be free from loading, but after that the loading will applies.
    this 3 years less 1 day rules is one off only per person per their lifetime.

    i have used my 3 years less 1 day period, but decided to keep continue without taking hospital.

    • sagrules on 13/01/2015 - 15:30
      +1

      I have never heard of this 3 years less 1 day rule. Can you please provide links to this?

      • CyberMurning on 13/01/2015 - 16:23
        +1

        not many people know, and certainly all the provider wont tell you.

        How can I minimise the loading?
        If you are under 31, take out hospital cover before 1 July following your 31st birthday and maintain your cover from that point onward. After you take out cover, your LHC loading won’t be affected if there are short gaps in your cover – for example, if you switch health insurers – but make sure those gaps don’t add up to more than 1,094 days (3 years less a day) or the loading will apply. These are known as ‘permitted days without hospital cover’.
        If you are over 31, you can take out hospital cover as soon as possible to minimise the loading. Each year you delay, your loading will increase by 2%, up to a maximum of 70%.

        http://www.bupa.com.au/health-insurance/common-questions/reb…

  • babezaves on 13/01/2015 - 15:18
    +2

    If you're only getting cover for extras for optical for an amount of $200 and dental for $250 wouldn't it be better for you to just drop health insurance altogether? As you're only getting essentially $450 worth of cover and you still have to pay 10% out of pocket. So $450 vs $1062 a year - you're already better off without it. Even with your specialist visits, private health insurance for hospital cover would only cover the costs as an inpatient anyway.

    • CyberMurning on 13/01/2015 - 16:50
      +1

      its because of the hospital cover… like me i paid $198 per year and get $150 optical $300 dental i think plus $100 massage, and i always make sure i used them all every year.

  • lenlynn on 13/01/2015 - 17:31

    OP are you the Adelaide me? Your four points describe me too, I was using Bupa until recently and I was just reading up on PHI over the weekend! I thought I would get insurance only in June 2016, since the lifetime loading applies 1st July following the 31st birthday (my birthday is in August).

    In the meantime I'm gonna take up a new ancillary policy, either HBF Easy 8 or GMF. Found I was still paying a high excess for Bupa dental though the customer service was great.

  • CyberMurning on 13/01/2015 - 17:49

    Nah get the hospital cover on mid May 2019, you will save heaps. Read my posts above

  • gym on 13/01/2015 - 18:56

    Hey all,

    Thanks for all the responses so far. I forgot that I turned 30 last year (still living in 2014 - my bad!) . So what you are saying is that I drop hospital cover NOW, then when do I need to take up hospital cover again? My birthday is in October (so I turn 31 THIS year)

    To answer babe: I took health insurance cover "because it is the right thing to do" and also the whole hospital loading thing. To me the $450 I can get back from health insurance is just a plus BUT if there is a way I can save a lot more money (by dropping hospital cover because I only need to get it in a few years time for hospital loading) and pay a lot less by either not getting private health insurance at all, or changing to a better policy - I'm definitely in it!

    erwinsie 1 hour 56 min ago new
    its because of the hospital cover… like me i paid $198 per year and get $150 optical $300 dental i think plus $100 massage, and i always make sure i used them all every year - How do you manage this?? :)

    • CyberMurning on 13/01/2015 - 21:00

      Manage what? Use all my quota? Easy. Example
      Optical: go on December tell them I want to use two years my quota, I got out with $300 Oakley.

  • kmwa on 14/01/2015 - 16:49

    You can use this government site to assess the best options
    http://www.privatehealth.gov.au/dynamic/compare.aspx
    I think that iSelect is sponsored by some of the health providers, though it claims that "iSelect makes unbiased recommendations from its approved suppliers"
    http://www.iselect.com.au/
    For my own particular circumstances, HCF gave the best deal, but their benefits are distinctly worse in Perth WA than in the eastern states.
    And they don't cover all hospitals in WA, just a select number, so you need to check before you go in for a procedure, or you'll be sicker when you come out than when you went in.

    • lenlynn on 15/01/2015 - 16:44

      Hmm was looking at the "More for xx" programmes for HCF. They offer free initial consultations at opticians, podiatry clinics etc.

  • Sweetnsour on 17/01/2015 - 09:20

    I would have a look at medibank. They are not part of the iselect portfolio. The covers are quite competitive being the largest health fund. Also good to note that if u dont have preganancy cover, there is 12 month waiting period after upgrading.

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