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Busting Health Insurance Myths

Busting Health Insurance Myths

Tags: Health Insurance
Last updated by Shelia Taylor on

There are a lot of myths out there about health insurance but FiftyUp Club is here to bust those myths so you can save money! Keep reading if you’re ready to learn the truth!

  • MYTH: I’ve found a health insurer so I don’t need to change my policy.
    • It is always a good idea to speak to  your provider regularly and discuss with them how your life has changed {e.g: you stopped smoking} to ensure your current policy is still providing you with the right coverage you need now as well as in the future
  • MYTH: I’m stuck with my current provider until my contract runs out.
    • Health insurance policies are contract-free and YOU CAN SWITCH at any time
  • MYTH: You'll have to re-serve the waiting periods if you change health funds
    • If you want to move from one fund to another, you will not have to re-serve waiting periods if you transfer to a policy that is at the same or a lower level of benefit. For more details visit PrivateHealth.gov.au.
  • MYTH: Medicare will cover emergency ambulance costs
    • Unless you live in Queensland or Tasmania, Medicare will not cover emergency ambulance costs. This means that you will pay for an emergency ambulance ride and that cost could be as much as $6000 in some states. For more information please visit PrivateHealth.gov.au

We’ve busted the myths! 

Originally posted on .

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Kim
Kim from QLD commented:

i have been with an health insurer for over 20 years with next to nothing claimed. as i’m no 63 thought i should review my policy and found i have no cover for hip or knee replacement if i should need it. I’m now totally lost as what insurer i should consider any thoughts would be appreciated Kim Qld 

Shelia at Fifty Up Club
Shelia at Fifty Up Club from NSW replied to Kim:

Hi Kim, please check out HCF who the current FiftyUp Club Offer is with. Per the 2018 AMA Private Health Insurance Report Card, they pay one of the highest benefit in hip replacement, cataracts and colonoscopy. You can read more at this link https://ama.com.au/article/ama-private-health-insurance-report-card-2018 (the PDF gives you further details) 

Fred & José
Fred & José from TAS commented:

Thank you for that. I am now wondering whether I did right to change to nib. On a basic pension you have to juggle to pay all accounts and this saved us $15.00 per month, but not the trauma. It is hard trying to do all this by youself when your partner has dementia. 

Fred & José
Fred & José from TAS commented:

I changed insurances 15 months ago. Although I have been happy with it, I hit a snag when my husband went into hospital for day surgery. I had to pay the bill then apparently the bill was in the private health name and so I sat at Medicare for 2 hours waiting. Had to go back to the surgery to ask for the bill in my husband's name. They could not do that. Eventually we fixed it with a label. Now we start all over again, not happy. 

Shelia at Fifty Up Club
Shelia at Fifty Up Club from NSW replied to Fred & José:

I'm sorry to hear that. Red tape is often what makes our lives tough. I hope you get it all sorted out. 

Lorraine
Lorraine from NSW commented:

My fund Latrobe covers ambulance cover. I live in Cherrybrook, NSW. Perhaps others do also. I was not aware that Medicare covered anyone for ambulance. 

Someone
Someone from NSW commented:

Life time loading is discrimination against older people who are in good health an won't to join a health fund ,ten years on a fixed loading is ridiculous,it should reduce yearly 

Someone
Someone from VIC commented:

What is the last line supposed to say? ARE YOU READY TO YOU TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP 

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