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Private Health insurance. How does it work? Do you have it and is it worth it?

Answered 4 years ago

Any info on the pros and cons of health insurance. Your experiences with public health and private. Shouldn't everyone be entitled to quality health care and not dependent on your social economic status/background.


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ANSWER
4 years ago
We have it, but more for tax reasons than anything else. I don't really understand how it all works either. Is there someone that specialises in helping people get the right health insurance? I went to an insurance broker, but he said health insurance is not general insurance so can't help with that.

ANSWER
4 years ago
Its one of those things that you won't know if its worth it until you need it.

ANSWER
4 years ago
I don't think it's worth it to be honest. I have had numerous surgeries in the past 10 years and have just paid to go private - still better off than paying premiums + out of pocket expenses.

ANSWER
4 years ago
Whether it’s worth the cost, I think, depends on your overall health and if you actually require much medical treatment. We have it because my husband insists, I don’t really think we need It as we hardly use it. I think we’d be better off putting the money aside into a separate savings account and going in as a self funded patient rather than paying the health insurance company. For most things we end up going public anyway as they’re emergencies and we’ve received great care from the public system.
Having said that, my son is due to have his tonsils and adenoids out In the private system next week, only 8 days after our initial appointment versus 12 months Waiting list in the public system. And I was able to choose our surgeon versus getting who ever’s on duty when it’s our turn.

ANSWER
4 years ago
We have it and use the extra all the time, my chiro is only $30 per visit as my insurance covers a massive amount. We have had two surgeries that were done within a week via private instead of going on a wait list. Plates/braces for my kids has been covered and glasses things like that, also having ambulance cover helps so we don't have to worry about paying should we need one. Have we claimed more then we pay, some years yes, some years no but while we can afford to pay it we will.

ANSWER
4 years ago
We have it and it is worth every bit we pay. Our son is a Type 1 Diabetic, the insurance covers his insulin pump. My husband also has a condition that has required numerous surgeries over the years. Having private insurance allows him access to his specialist and allows any surgeries he needs to be done without waiting. We also use it like the above response...dentist, glasses, massage, chiropractic.

ANSWER
4 years ago
I just have extras insurance, i use it all the time, for me it’s worth it, i get back a little bit more then i pay in premiums every year. I use it for dental, glasses, remedial massage, pharmaceutical mostly, but every now then chiro or something else.

Im 37, i think as i get older, probably past 50 i will get hospital cover, ive come to this conclusion based on observing my parents who have top hospital cover and always have and my husbands parents who dont have any private health insurance. My parents (both almost 80) have each had a few different health scares over the years and whenever anything happens they literally get into hospital or to see a specialist within 24/48 hours and have had all sorts of things (including cancer) sorted out very quickly. My husbands parents have had similar health issues but wait for months and years to get their problems attended to and has a result of this my father in law is dying of Cancer, he is still waiting for treatment (its been about a year) and is literally starving to death at home (its a throat cancer) waiting for treatment. My parents in the same position would have had everything attended to and treatment commenced within days of discovering something wrong, all based on the fact they have private health insurance.

ANSWER
4 years ago
We've looked into it and don't think it's worth the money. Yeah we can be seen faster but have to pay through the ass for it. The only time I've ever wanted it was when my daughter needed tonsils/adenoids out. Public waitlist was 5 years. But we found a private ENT who operated public. Paid $300 for the consultation and surgery was done 5 weeks later at no cost.

ANSWER
4 years ago
There is health care for everyone. If you need something urgently it will be done. But if it's not you have to wait your turn. Yes people with private cover get to skip the wait list, but they pay a fortune for it, and it frees up public spots so the wait list is a lot less for people without. Having it or not is a gamble.

ANSWER
4 years ago
We dont have it, we cant afford it realistically. Some things are great public and others not so much. EG maternity is great but for ENT issues a lot of kids wait years.