Realising the importance of health insurance...a little too late.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Yes I have used my private health cover a few times now and im only 26...

Plus I get free dental check ups yearly and a fair amount of my glasses paid for each year. Worth having if you ask me.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by BHDOGS

good old private heath insurance for the rich just like dental is for the rich if your poor suffer on the public system oh unless u want your teeth fixed then wait 12 months and ull get that appointment

Just for the rich aye?? Theres plenty of people around that cannot afford private health or dental care but can afford to buy cigarettes and alcohol, yet some of us go without those things and can afford it.

[Polyal]

Im at uni fullltime and choose not to work, my wife is choosing to work part time at the moment, 2 kids blah blah and we manage so I would say that just about anyone can.

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by DASH GT

Just for the rich aye?? Theres plenty of people around that cannot afford private health or dental care but can afford to buy cigarettes and alcohol, yet some of us go without those things and can afford it.

[z80]

It's really not worth having private insurance.

You might spend 2500 on dental work, but for the thousands each year in premiums you'll probably get 1100 back on the 2500.

Those funds make money...a lot of money, the reason is they make money from us.

[Spudz27]

Originally Posted by z80

It's really not worth having private insurance.

You might spend 2500 on dental work, but for the thousands each year in premiums you'll probably get 1100 back on the 2500.

Those funds make money...a lot of money, the reason is they make money from us.

Firstly not all are in it for a profit, HBF is a not for profit organisation, they employ 100's of people supports charities, sporting clubs etc. Secondly if you read my post on page one you will see I am an example of how great private health is. I could not wait on a public system for my ops and over the years there would be close to half a mill paid out in costs for my treatment. For some people having private health is piece of mind, for people like me it is a necessity. Again I will say, if they paid everything you wanted, no one could afford it. 116 per fortnight is nothing when I know my whole family is covered, even if they never need it.

[StrokedXT]

Pop one kid out in a private hospital and it pays for itself 10 times over.

[AC]

I got all my wisdom teeth extracted in 1998 under the public system, only cost about $800 back then.

I did have a chat with my accountant last year about health insurance, she said unless you have chronic health issues it's not really worth it, your almost better off putting the money into a separate bank account and saving it for when you really need it. The only other real advantage is getting specialist procedures booked in and done quicker, otherwise you wait up to 12months on the public system.

[jimmyxr6t04]

Originally Posted by StrokedXT

Pop one kid out in a private hospital and it pays for itself 10 times over.

I don't get how? both our kids were done through the public system... The first was slightly complicated and the missus had to stay in hospital for about a week. The second was smooth as and she was out the next day. Total cost to us was $0.... She had epidurals and all the rest of it.

My brother and his wife had their kids in a private hospital, things went relatively well and he was out of pocket thousands... For what? A glass of champagne, and your own room?? Doesn't reflect good value for money in my mind!

For more serious conditions, then yes, private health can certainly be worth it. But to give birth? And then be left out of pocket by a grand or 2??

[AC]

Originally Posted by jimmyxr6t04

I don't get how? both our kids were done through the public system... The first was slightly complicated and the missus had to stay in hospital for about a week. The second was smooth as and she was out the next day. Total cost to us was $0.... She had epidurals and all the rest of it.

My brother and his wife had their kids in a private hospital, things went relatively well and he was out of pocket thousands... For what? A glass of champagne, and your own room?? Doesn't reflect good value for money in my mind!

For more serious conditions, then yes, private health can certainly be worth it. But to give birth? And then be left out of pocket by a grand or 2??

What you said!

A mate and his mrs of mine went public, cost them thousands(not sure how)
We went public, Zero Dollars and the mrs spent 5days in prior to birthing and 5days after.

[Deco28]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

I'll do it with my long nosed pliers for $15, you supply your own alcohol though.

I don't understand why dentists are so expensive for, sure its important but you think other things which keep you alive would be worth more than 32 pieces of bone.

32 pieces of bone LOL! Go extract a wisdom tooth yourself and see what happens. ONJ anyone?

Costs aren't exactly cheap for dentists themselves, and they've still got too make a good living, so you can't be charged just above cost. School fee's (another 60-80k for specialists), staff, rent, instruments (would you guess one good drill costs $1500+?), time and expertise all add up.

Dentist's make a good living, but it's not like they are ripping you off. That said, some can be a bit shoddy.

[AC/DC]

Cardiac Ablation Surgery ( to repair wiring of the heart )

Cardiac Theatre Fees - $9500

Ablation technology equipment fees - $4000

Anastethic guy - $2500

Cardiac Electrophisioligst Surgeon Fees - $4500

Private hospital fees for ward - $2000.


Over $20 000 worth.


Public system - Wait a LONG LONG time.

Private system - Excess of $1000 and $30 for some trendy white stockings. ( plus $160 per month premiums for a family of 4 with top level hospital cover )


I know what I would prefer.

AC/DC

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Deco28

32 pieces of bone LOL! Go extract a wisdom tooth yourself and see what happens. ONJ anyone?

Costs aren't exactly cheap for dentists themselves, and they've still got too make a good living, so you can't be charged just above cost. School fee's (another 60-80k for specialists), staff, rent, instruments (would you guess one good drill costs $1500+?), time and expertise all add up.

Dentist's make a good living, but it's not like they are ripping you off. That said, some can be a bit shoddy.

Why does this make them worth more than other types of doctors? I can live without a set of teeth or dodgy ones in my mouth, how much does it cost for a full new set? Upwards of $20K?

I've got holes in 4 or 5 of my teeth, some are chipped, stripped the enamel off them after damaging them from stripping the lining on my bowels, stomach and throat during a public hospital stay (got my own room too, stuck in isolation ward).

It doesn't bother me enough to spend stupid amounts of money getting my teeth "fixed" or removed. Which still work, albiet a bit painfully, at a dentist, they're worse than car dealerships.

[SEZ213]

I don't have a problem with paying for it...I obviously need it done, my problem is I'm not electing to have this 'surgery', it's compulsory...and yet none of the theatre fees are claimable... The last three surgeries I've had, didn't cost me a cent...

In a chair would be about $1500... :\

$50 for three minutes (yes, I timed it) with the initial dentist for her to send me across the road for an x-ray.

$110.00 for the specialist...I was in there less than 10 minutes...

I'd say they get paid pretty well...

[Uncle Niceguy]

I need private health insurance due to mental issues yes I admit I'm forking out well over the quoted figures that have come up on here but in saying that when I go to see my psychiatrist and go to hospital twice a year for necessary therapy I have my own room I don't pay excess and can smoke in any outdoor area in a hospital 24/7 while staying there and I don't go to communal mental wards (public system) where more often then not ppl get abused.

[Feathers]

I don't see the point of health insurance really. I much prefer to pay for what I use, instead of throwing money away for nothing - and STILL having to pay on top of that.
I pay for my Optometry, my Endocrinologist appointments, and the dentist, plus my GP.

My Grandmother was in a fund, but because she was so tight with money, she'd book in for every little thing they covered (as long as there was no gap), regardless of if it was necessary or not. Wasting everyone's time, just because she was 'entitled' to it.

My mum has had many, many major surgeries in her life time, been on dialysis, and all of it was covered by Medicare. (No health fund will touch her anyway as she's a chronic case).
Her parathyroid removal and relocation, her two bowel surgeries, two eye surgeries, creating of a fistula for dialysis, the months of dialysis prior to the transplant (including the loan of a machine and all the supplies to have at home, to make it more convenient for her), and the transplant itself.
She's never had any problems with the public system, only thing she really had to 'wait' for was the transplant, but that's understandable with such a long list, and not enough donors.

Her first eye surgery this year was done within about 3 weeks of her becoming aware there was an issue, the second one was done about 6 weeks after that.

The surgeon tried to talk her into paying for private treatment by telling her she'd get in quicker, and that he'd do the surgery himself, not just supervise a student doing it.
One of her kidney specialists told her that was rubbish. He still did the surgery, he just didn't make the extra money he wanted for it.

[ZA-289]

I believe in extras cover only. covers most things you need. If your are seriously ill and need hospital then its free anyway!

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by AC/DC

Cardiac Ablation Surgery ( to repair wiring of the heart )

Cardiac Theatre Fees - $9500

Ablation technology equipment fees - $4000

Anastethic guy - $2500

Cardiac Electrophisioligst Surgeon Fees - $4500

Private hospital fees for ward - $2000.


Over $20 000 worth.


Public system - Wait a LONG LONG time.

Private system - Excess of $1000 and $30 for some trendy white stockings. ( plus $160 per month premiums for a family of 4 with top level hospital cover )


I know what I would prefer.

AC/DC

Bingo

Insurances are there to cover us for things we cant afford. Id prefer to be safe than sorry, if you goo through life perfectly healthy and the worst you can say is that insurance was a waste then Id be happy with that.

[FTE217]

Originally Posted by Feathers

I don't see the point of health insurance really. I much prefer to pay for what I use, instead of throwing money away for nothing - and STILL having to pay on top of that.
I pay for my Optometry, my Endocrinologist appointments, and the dentist, plus my GP.

My Grandmother was in a fund, but because she was so tight with money, she'd book in for every little thing they covered (as long as there was no gap), regardless of if it was necessary or not. Wasting everyone's time, just because she was 'entitled' to it.

My mum has had many, many major surgeries in her life time, been on dialysis, and all of it was covered by Medicare. (No health fund will touch her anyway as she's a chronic case).
Her parathyroid removal and relocation, her two bowel surgeries, two eye surgeries, creating of a fistula for dialysis, the months of dialysis prior to the transplant (including the loan of a machine and all the supplies to have at home, to make it more convenient for her), and the transplant itself.
She's never had any problems with the public system, only thing she really had to 'wait' for was the transplant, but that's understandable with such a long list, and not enough donors.

Her first eye surgery this year was done within about 3 weeks of her becoming aware there was an issue, the second one was done about 6 weeks after that.

The surgeon tried to talk her into paying for private treatment by telling her she'd get in quicker, and that he'd do the surgery himself, not just supervise a student doing it.
One of her kidney specialists told her that was rubbish. He still did the surgery, he just didn't make the extra money he wanted for it.

Good on Gran get what you pay for nothing wrong with that !
There will always be storeys like your Mum above and good for her and glad she has been looked after for they are irriplacable but it looks like a long history therefore had been taking advantage when our system was capable and thankgoodness for that as I said but I can't trust the system of today (wish it was like the ol days) - sure some get through relatively easy still for surgical procedures etc but I'm sure there is a far higher % on "wait lists" nowadays and how many sad case's we don't hear about so if I can avoid the above or "que jump" for MY family heck I'll do without something for my 3kids and wife paying private....as Polyal says above.

[gtfpv]

Originally Posted by Sezzy

Just a heads up for anyone who might think health insurance is a 'luxury you can't afford'...turns out not having it is a necessity I really could have used... :(

I got a rather rude shock today. Turns out my wisdom teeth need to be surgically removed - I'm okay with that, I'd rather be knocked out...what did knock me out what the cost of it.

Two wisdom teeth surgically extracted

$110.00 for surgical consult ($70 medicare rebate - cool)
$795.00 for the surgical suite booking - no rebate
$550.00 for the anesthetist (about $140 back on medicare - maybe)
$880.00 for removal of two teeth (four is $1400) - no rebate

So after all expenses - $2335.00, or $2935 for all four...and maybe $210 back on the whole caper.

To be honest, I'm a little ****y that the cost is not claimable, particularly given it's not elective surgery, but compulsory...but you live and learn.

I had private health insurance at one stage and got rid of it because I didn't use it. Having had this sneak up on me...I'm thinking perhaps I should get it again...

sezzy i strongly believe in health insurance . but just a little comparison , i've had it since 1986, paying $60 per week family , how do you think i felt , when i needed root canal , went to the HCF dental clinic , which gave me xrays at no cost , diagnosed infection , sent home for 2 weeks with anti biotics and told to take panadien , then come back and have a full head xray, hang on didnt i have xrays 2 weeks ago ? yes but this one is better , and it wont cost you anything sir you need it , it's worth $360 and there will be no charge , feeling a little upset about this and queerying why i need it , they said i do , so i gave them the benifit of the doubt , then they say , we cant treat you here , we need to send you to our specilaist in parramatta , so i ring the specialist , have to wait 1 month to see him for a consult , hang on , i've already had 2 consults . tuff luck the specialist also requires his own consult , @$120 dollars non claimable . upset about this i wait 1 month , go in get an xray , hang on thats now 3 consults and 3 xrays , one of thema full head/ facial xray . now the specialist says . you need root canal !!! ya think !!!!. the good news is , it will cost $1800 , and hcf will cover some of it , the bad news is i cant fit you in for a further 2 months , so his advice , take some more anti biotics and panadein . i go home ring hcf , ask about how much rebate i will get back out of $1800 , answer $240 sir which means $1560 out of pocket in 2 months time .
decide to make own decision , march back to hcf , get tooth pulled at cost of $60 .
i'm not sure being in a health fund always helps .

where it comes in handy is if you need a hip replacement at a cost of $30,000 the fund will cover about $28000 of it .

[gtfpv]

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

Don't go in as a private patient for having a baby delivered. You get absolutely cained. sister-in-law went in with her first child as a private patient ... smooth labour ... nothing too wrong with it .. and out fairly early. They have full cover.
It cost them over $2K in GAP fees ... and the hospital facilities were below average and nursing staff were crap.

Family friend went in as a private patient ... baby had to be airlifted to Sydney due to heart issues and needed surgery ... Full private cover as well (well they thought so anyway) ... $10,000k in GAP fees (god knows why .... they pay through the nose for insurance). They are still paying it off.

After seeing this ... my wife went in as a public patient for the birth of our son ... complications during delivery ... needed and emergency C-section ... extended stay in hospital. Excellent specialists on-hand and nursing staff were really helpful. Cost to us ... $0

I can see the benefit in ambulance cover ... that's a given ... but everything else is a rip-off ... you may get a rude shock thinking you are covered at a later date ... until you get that GAP bill. Then you will really think twice about good your private health insurance is.

have to reply to this one mate . you had a completely different experience to me . going back 13 years ago . we went to a public hospital as a private patient for our birth delivery . the midwife said no need to call our obstetrician unless things get ugly and it is 2 am , ok so fully dialated wife could not push baby out , midwife says , somethings wrong . i say thats it , get our obstitrician here NOW , midwife leaves room , calls private obsterician 30 min to 1 hr away , meanwhile emergency obstitrician comes in panics , says nothing , cannot decide what to do , thinking c/ section . 40 minutes passes , our obstitician arrives , emergency obstitrician says thank god , i'm outa here , our obstitician performs perfect forcepts delivery .
2nd baby same cover same doctor , same hospital , wife wakes up at full term and says somethings wrong , babies movements have slowed , we go staight to hospital , doctor says everythings fine , your not in labour , go homeand dont worry , no we say and please call our obstitrician , the doc does , and advises we are just worried for no reason , and should go home , our obstetrician says , put here in a bed , i will be there in 2 hours . i want here induced for arvo delivery , hospital doc . ok if you insist . that afternoon our 2nd baby is born , the afterbirth placenta then comes out , the doc says ahah , your wife was right , the placenta had less then a day left and if you went home , possible still born , the next day .
my friend went public as a public patient for birth delivery , only 1 hospital doctor was on duty , 2 called in sick , and many were in labour , complications arose , and the baby died due to doctor not being available .
sorry but i had to share , what being private did for us . and i cannot advise anyone to go public , when there is no gaurantee , there will be a doctor available under the public system .

[gtfpv]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Why does this make them worth more than other types of doctors? I can live without a set of teeth or dodgy ones in my mouth, how much does it cost for a full new set? Upwards of $20K?

I've got holes in 4 or 5 of my teeth, some are chipped, stripped the enamel off them after damaging them from stripping the lining on my bowels, stomach and throat during a public hospital stay (got my own room too, stuck in isolation ward).

It doesn't bother me enough to spend stupid amounts of money getting my teeth "fixed" or removed. Which still work, albiet a bit painfully, at a dentist, they're worse than car dealerships.

DAMO . seriously mate , one day on a saturday night , your mouth will explode like it has a falme in it that cannot be put out , and you'll be in a chair begging for a dentist to pull your tooth or fix it .
or worse might have a heart attack , and an emergency doc will call you a far can idiot for getting a heart attack from an infected tooth . seriously mate , sometimes we need to be educated .

[StrokedXT]

Originally Posted by jimmyxr6t04

I don't get how? both our kids were done through the public system... The first was slightly complicated and the missus had to stay in hospital for about a week. The second was smooth as and she was out the next day. Total cost to us was $0.... She had epidurals and all the rest of it.

My brother and his wife had their kids in a private hospital, things went relatively well and he was out of pocket thousands... For what? A glass of champagne, and your own room?? Doesn't reflect good value for money in my mind!

For more serious conditions, then yes, private health can certainly be worth it. But to give birth? And then be left out of pocket by a grand or 2??

It's like anything you get what you pay for, my wife wanted her own room to spend the first few days of our kids life in a nice environment without all the crap that comes with a shared public room so you expect to pay for that.

So us like many would have happily paid for this service and level of care, but thanks to private health cover that costs little after tax incentives it is more than made up for in the savings from conception to birth.

So as I said 1 kid in a private hospital more than covers the costs of insurance for several years, and pays for itself even more if you go ivf.

[jimmyxr6t04]

Originally Posted by StrokedXT

It's like anything you get what you pay for, my wife wanted her own room to spend the first few days of our kids life in a nice environment without all the crap that comes with a shared public room so you expect to pay for that.

So us like many would have happily paid for this service and level of care, but thanks to private health cover that costs little after tax incentives it is more than made up for in the savings from conception to birth.

So as I said 1 kid in a private hospital more than covers the costs of insurance for several years, and pays for itself even more if you go ivf.

1 years cost of private health insurance will get you a room in a 5 star hotel for a few nights to recover with your own doctor

Each to their own i guess... maybe we're a little luckier in canberra, as perhaps the public hospitals are better? My wife wanted nothing more then to just come home straight after the birth, buggered if she wanted to hang around in hospital, private or not!

As for the tax incentives, i hardly think it's worth it... I pay 3k a year in health insurance, and all it saves me is $1000 per year on medicare levy surcharge... I guess that means i really get the health insurance for 2k per year, and it's there if we ever need it...

I guess it'll pay for itself if the family ever need it for anything major, touch wood we don't!

[Polyal]

Well I guess we can all give examples of good and bad of either system.

My grandma just had a knee replacement through public and she was on the wait list for just under 2 years! Now some say if she can deal with it then fine, but wont you dont hear is that over that time it has now effected her back aswell. She is as tough as nails and will be ok, but not what I would call a good system.

Im sure I remember seeing my birth invoices are the $7k mark, whether that included the weekly/fortnightly checks with the doctor I cant recall, either way times that by 2 and I am way up at the moment so no complaints from me.

Ive also had a couple of fillings etc over the same time and our no claim bonuses cover them 100%. 6 monthly check ups aswell.

What is a rort is my 2 year old son at the time was there and we thought what the heck, get him used to being in a chair and seeing the dentist...$60 for no joke 2 mins of looking in his mouth, that was also covered but talk about milking it!

[superpursuit83]

I have always had 10K in a good account, sort of a Self Funded Health Insurance.
Early this year my son kicked out a couple of my teeth and I blew 6K of this money.

I am now insured. I am not behind in costs if you add up the years of not paying a health fund and receiving interest. But getting older now and I dont think its viable for me to pay my own way anymore.

[EFFalcon]

i used to work in the private health industry and saw the ins and outs....

some of the bills i saw are downright scary.

[gtfpv]

along the baby boomers generation , they had money if they were wise with it in thier day , and had volunteered to be in a super fund etc . so lots of them , retired now are self funded retirees , uninsured .
in the earlier years lots of them focused on money for retirement , and health bills . literally now when they need it they could blow it all on health , i'm talking about life savings here . and the facts are , a lot of them don't blow it all , they take the risk and wait for the public health system .
i guess for us still in the work force , health funds avoid this down the track.
and my veiw on wether youll ever needed it or not is a bit rediculous . its like saying youll never grow old die and end up in a coffin . . thats is the result we all end up with , if we're lucky , along the way trying to acheive this we will be using the health fund .

[steve.zissou]

Remember with Private, If you want to choose a doctor or specialist that charges more than the private health fund with chip in for - you will have to pay the extra.

I broke both arms a while ago and went to the public hospital. I got a chump and they said one broken arm.

Went to the specialist that would have had minimal gap with private and hes said 2 broken arms. (I didnt have private but it was reasonable - was going to cost a couple of grand).

My mum who used to work in hospitals told me not to cheap out and get a good specialist and he found another piece of floating bone (3rd break) and you could tell he knew alot more than the other guys.

I think he cost me about $4k but he said private wouldn't have covered much as he wont work for what they pay (fair enough - he's good and can charge for it).

I have private now 34y/o to help for big items - cancer heart, etc but not when i was younger.

[MAD]

Originally Posted by jimmyxr6t04

As for the tax incentives, i hardly think it's worth it... I pay 3k a year in health insurance, and all it saves me is $1000 per year on medicare levy surcharge... I guess that means i really get the health insurance for 2k per year, and it's there if we ever need it...

But if you earn a lot more, then your cost of insurance is easily paid by the tax deduction. so it end sup being a no cost option to have Private insurance.
Why should someone earning big bucks have better healthcare than the poorest of the poor?