Weedolly Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 I have private health insurance and have a heart condition. Having to get a lot of scans etc done at the moment and because I am an outpatient and not actually admitted to hospital, the insurance does not cover it, what is the point having it! obviously I will need to have heart failure again before I can get any money out of them!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weedolly Posted May 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 (edited) Jeez, now they want another $870 for one I just had to book. So thats about $2000 in just a few days. Get some back from Medicare but how do people that dont have that in the bank to payout first manage to do it?Then add on the cost of useless health insurance and $60 per month prescriptions! I wouldnt like to be unemployed and sick! Edited May 21, 2014 by Weedolly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verystormy Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 I do wonder the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weedolly Posted May 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 When I lived in Melbourne it was all bulked billed so I didnt actually see how much it was. I find it strange that you can always find a bulk billing DR or Specialist there but not here? Why do Perth DR's not do it so much? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou8670 Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 I have private health insurance and have a heart condition. Having to get a lot of scans etc done at the moment and because I am an outpatient and not actually admitted to hospital, the insurance does not cover it, what is the point having it! obviously I will need to have heart failure again before I can get any money out of them!!!!! Sounds like a trip to ED and getting admitted might have been worthwhile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laz Posted May 23, 2014 Report Share Posted May 23, 2014 Jeez, now they want another $870 for one I just had to book. So thats about $2000 in just a few days. Get some back from Medicare but how do people that dont have that in the bank to payout first manage to do it?Then add on the cost of useless health insurance and $60 per month prescriptions! I wouldnt like to be unemployed and sick! They probably wait.....and wait...be thankful you have some health insurance. It's worth having top level health insurance in Australia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lozzachino Posted May 24, 2014 Report Share Posted May 24, 2014 This is why i also dont see the point of hospital cover. Sorry you are having to cover these costs weedolly. its no different to the nhs and the uk where most people do not have any private cover, so i dont understand why people get their knickers in a twist about having to have cover here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verystormy Posted May 24, 2014 Report Share Posted May 24, 2014 It can be important to have private. I had a strongly suspected case of bowel cancer this year. The doc wanted me in hospital immediately but the wait for the colonoscopy was over a year - I would have been either dead or untreatable by then. Luckily I had private. It still cost several hundred even with insurance, but I was in within 3 days. I turned out fine (have to have a colonoscopy every 12 months from now on). But, dread to think of what might have been. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Give me a break! Posted May 24, 2014 Report Share Posted May 24, 2014 I'm not sure really apart from the tax hit. I had fantastic treatment to have a breast lump removed the difference was only one week between private and medicare. I've got private but when II'd had to have a previous lump investigated by ultrasound they said I still had to pay as my insrance wouldnt, because it wasn't covered by medicare? Still haven't worked that one out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelchic Posted May 24, 2014 Report Share Posted May 24, 2014 I struggle to understand what cover is needed. I understand that ambulance cover and dental cover is needed. What if i only get that covered and have an accident and need treatment in hospital. Will i be treated them sent a bill because i only have ambulance and dental cover? Having never having to think about how much everything costs before, its hard to get your head around. Also, if Jonny should need braces on his teeth does that come under dental or major dental. Can anyone give me an idiots guide to Australian healthcare please. Many thanks. Weedolly, you must feel really frustrated. You would think if you have a pre existing condition your healthcare would cover it. Added stress is not what you need when you've got heart probs. Hope your tests are all clear x x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weedolly Posted May 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2014 If I got to pay fair enough, but what is the point of having health insurance if they dont payout for things like tests etc. My illness started when I was living in Melbourne and everything there was bulked billed, never paid for anything at all, including the Cardiologist appointments, scans, bloodtests, yet in Perth I have to pay for every single thing. So how come one state can do it all on Medicare but another cant! Funny thing as well, when I asked the DR for a refferal to a Cardiologist when I moved here, he automatically referred me to a Private one, strange that! So now I pay for useless health insurance(unless I have a relapse and have to be admitted to hospital) and for any treatment that I need as an outpatient! TravelChic - if you have an accident and are admitted am sure all that will be covered. You must have ambulance cover though and dental, but I dont think braces comes under dental you would need extras for Othordontist as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelchic Posted May 24, 2014 Report Share Posted May 24, 2014 If I got to pay fair enough, but what is the point of having health insurance if they dont payout for things like tests etc. My illness started when I was living in Melbourne and everything there was bulked billed, never paid for anything at all, including the Cardiologist appointments, scans, bloodtests, yet in Perth I have to pay for every single thing. So how come one state can do it all on Medicare but another cant! Funny thing as well, when I asked the DR for a refferal to a Cardiologist when I moved here, he automatically referred me to a Private one, strange that! So now I pay for useless health insurance(unless I have a relapse and have to be admitted to hospital) and for any treatment that I need as an outpatient! TravelChic - if you have an accident and are admitted am sure all that will be covered. You must have ambulance cover though and dental, but I dont think braces comes under dental you would need extras for Othordontist as well[/quote thanks for the info and i hope you don't have to pay any more than you already have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Give me a break! Posted May 24, 2014 Report Share Posted May 24, 2014 Just to add that the extras does not cover all orthodontics. Ours cover about a 3rd thats it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest6235 Posted May 24, 2014 Report Share Posted May 24, 2014 I struggle to understand what cover is needed. I understand that ambulance cover and dental cover is needed. What if i only get that covered and have an accident and need treatment in hospital. Will i be treated them sent a bill because i only have ambulance and dental cover? Having never having to think about how much everything costs before, its hard to get your head around. Also, if Jonny should need braces on his teeth does that come under dental or major dental. Can anyone give me an idiots guide to Australian healthcare please. Many thanks. Weedolly, you must feel really frustrated. You would think if you have a pre existing condition your healthcare would cover it. Added stress is not what you need when you've got heart probs. Hope your tests are all clear x x With you on this, I've read you can have top cover for dentists etc but you then still have to pay so much for braces. It's very confusing. I did also read that if you didn't have private but had a heart attack in the street then you would be dealt with for free....although whether this is true or not, who knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest6235 Posted May 24, 2014 Report Share Posted May 24, 2014 If I got to pay fair enough, but what is the point of having health insurance if they dont payout for things like tests etc. My illness started when I was living in Melbourne and everything there was bulked billed, never paid for anything at all, including the Cardiologist appointments, scans, bloodtests, yet in Perth I have to pay for every single thing. So how come one state can do it all on Medicare but another cant! Funny thing as well, when I asked the DR for a refferal to a Cardiologist when I moved here, he automatically referred me to a Private one, strange that! So now I pay for useless health insurance(unless I have a relapse and have to be admitted to hospital) and for any treatment that I need as an outpatient! TravelChic - if you have an accident and are admitted am sure all that will be covered. You must have ambulance cover though and dental, but I dont think braces comes under dental you would need extras for Othordontist as well It's a shame they have to ask what cover you have or ask for money before caring/treating anybody. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STEVE P Posted June 21, 2014 Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 Its not simple to understand, I have private insurance but this only covers emergency & "non gap" treatment, doctors can charge what they want above government guidelines - this is the gap and payment is my responsibility. I broke my leg a few weeks ago and needed surgery, on asking GU health how I find a none gap surgeon I was told this was up to me to ask, no guidelines or recommended practicioners at their end. A bit rough if you need immediate surgery and not up to bargaining or finding a suitable doctor. As it is I was taken in by hospital and surgeon was none gap however I have 3 bills arrived this week & will try to find out what for & who pays next week. NHS doesn't seem that bad now ! Then there's employment sick leave to consider as it seems most allow only 2 weeks - its not cheap getting sick here, insured or otherwise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weedolly Posted June 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 As I said already if its a pay for use system fair enough, but the point I am making is the health insurance is useless unless I have a relapse and am admitted into hospital, doesnt cover the outpatient stuff so I now think these insurance companies are a rip off. I would think health insurance would cover ANY treatment you required, especially as the premiums are so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verystormy Posted June 21, 2014 Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 It is something people moving here need to be aware of. There was a discussion on another forum over the last couple of days about this and several people had commented about having to pay thousands in out of pocket gap payments that private had also not covered. I have had only about $1000. But, as I get older, it is a worry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Druid Posted June 21, 2014 Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 Wait until you go for a quote and get the lifetime loading, we missed the boat when we arrived because we couldn't afford it then in the first six months, now we look at the quotes and it's even further away by the time they add the lifetime loading, and also as you read the fine print unless you go for the 'Gold all singing all dancing super duper' package you are wasting your time and money, but it's something we are going to have to think about as we are all getting older, I have added ' Trauma Cover' to my Super, just in case at a huge expense of course. This is something all the newbies need to look at within the first six months of arriving, leave it longer and the lifetime loading gets added to the quote, you thought the premiums were bad then, wait until you add the lifetime loading Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou8670 Posted June 21, 2014 Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 I thought newbies had 12 months to sort out cover? If it weren't for the penalty I wouldn't be so sure about private cover...yes it gets you seen quicker but having worked in finance within health in another jurisdiction I saw so many people opt for private treatment thinking their policy would cover them only to find there was a gap in their cover and they had to pay. Once you've opted to go private you are liable to all the private costs of appointments, scans, treatment etc. Also, they can go back on their word and refuse payment even if you've checked with them first and they initially said you were covered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Druid Posted June 21, 2014 Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 We went to talk to HBF when we arrived, purely because they had the shop next to Medicare in one of the shopping malls, after getting quotes online, we went back and signed up for HBF Essentials, they told us we had six months for hospital cover to avoid the life time loading, as I was the only one working at the time there was no way we could afford it, we have since upgraded to Essentials +, and switched over to corporate rates thanks to the wife working for COP, but we will have to think about signing up for hospital cover this year as we are going to get stung by the Medicare levy anyway, whichever seems to get more expensive every year anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STEVE P Posted October 21, 2014 Report Share Posted October 21, 2014 One point some may not know is if you are involved in road traffic accident ambulance is covered provided valid rego! I have heard of people waiting for spouse or friends to transport them in car to save the cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOL Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 Unafrordsble health care is one of the things that really worries me about Australia. It 's arranged so well back in the Netherlands. However things are changing there as well. Becoming more expensive , but definitely not to the degree of Australian standards. The strangedt thing is that with insurance I want to cover situations where expenses add up quickly. If I need treatment and it costs me 20 grant, I want at least 18k covered. If I only have expenses of 50 bucks I can pay for it myself. So I want to cover myself for unforseeable high expenses. But with Ozzie insurances their covers are all capped. That's the whole point of an insurance imho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfie Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 I just paid £390 for an MRI on my knees no rebate from medicare no rebate from private health but at least I had the scan within 3 days of contacting SKG. Week after that I went for results to GP back home that could have taken a month. Now I am waiting to see specialist and waiting for the sting in bank balance for that but the surgery etc and extras are covered by private health. But I have to ask if the specialist is no gap. It is so confusing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Druid Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 My Radiology centre in Bibra Lake are 100% bulk billed and will accept any referral, i had my lower back done and it cost me nothing, worth remembering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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