Have read back over the "horror stories" on this health & wellbing forum, and basically, all I want is a general concensus on whether to have full medical insurance, hospital cover only, or none at all.

Being a pensioner and not having any private medical insurance, I have had no problem getting medical care when needed around Aus. I seem to get the same treatment where ever I am travelling. Been in hospital in Bundaberg, also had a broken arm checked out up there although it was done here at home. Xrays done and rechecked, no problems at all.

Gee Dunmowin, this is going to get down to each individual persons financial and health situation. In my case i have hospital cover only, with an annual premium of $2145. Being on a part age and self funded pension, i can just manage to keep this cover. After 2 heart attacks i'm not game to let it go. Although sometimes i think "hmm that would keep us on the road for about a month" Johnw

John, my husband has had three heart attacks- still goin strong- we have no private health cover and each time has had first class attention and immediate here in Brisbane.
We are about to head off once again but fulltime this time- selling up- which I might add is more stressful than anything we have ever experienced. Home inspections, keeping everything in order, chasing hubby around making sure toilet seat is down all that stuff!
When we went around Oz in 2003/2004 I took ill in Coral Bay was sent by ambulance to Carnarvon and treated there for Gall problems all free.
Though ambulance wouldn't take me back to Coral Bay when I was released next day- hubby had to drive back and collect me.
So I would check as to whether you require that level of cover. Just my ten cents worth and what I have experienced. We are QLD citezens and are covered by ambulance any where in Oz by having a QLD address also.

-- Edited by Dawn on Friday 24th of September 2010 11:46:28 AM

I haven't had to wait too long at all for any of my operations, Had one each in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. Waited no more than 2 months for any of them and my burst appendix was done at 8am after being admitted to emergency at Geelong hospital 2006 the night before. All others were within a couple of months of seeing a specialist. Lots of places, like home here in Echuca, would make no difference in getting a particular surgeon anyway as town small and you take who is available regardless of whether you have medical insurance.

Since 2002, i have had occasion to visit logan hospital, courtesy of Qld health on two occasions, and QEII on another, First visit to logan, six weeks later had reqired knee reconstruction, second visit, emergency surgey same night as when i broke ankle. QEII admittedly had to wait six months for hysterectomy, but then they had closed down operating theatres for renovations. (and my MBF level did not cover me for "baby bit removal") (

So, this is why I wonder about continuing my private insurance. Even when I broke my ankle, it was actually quicker to go public - I was asked at the time if i wanted to go private! If I had not had private insurance, I could have received physio through the hospital, but in this case, had to go to a private physio which MBF paid about $25 in every $75

-- Edited by Dunmowin on Friday 24th of September 2010 08:57:32 PM

I had two operation without private insurance first one was removeable of a tumor was 10 day from doctor to operation second one was hysterctomy was 8 weeks from specialist to operation and i have few vist to hospital for other thing ..I never had any problems getting medical attention ... but then there my ex who just had aggressive prostate cancer operation has private insurance was about 12 week from diagnosis to operation and $15,000 dollars out of pocket ... make you wonder dosent it

It does make you wonder, I have relatives who can afford private medical and the cap?? is always not enough to cover what they pay for, so always out of pocket by thousands.
I just hand over my card and get the same treatment.

-- Edited by Happywanderer on Saturday 25th of September 2010 04:10:08 PM

yes the medical system is a funny thing but then again if we live in other country we wouldnt be so lucky ... no free treatment if u dont have insurance or money you stay sick or die thank god for our lucky country .....

I guess we look at it from the point of view that the older we get, the more things go wrong, and yep, we will be sticking to our private health insurance. When my Mum had massive heart surgery back in '05, she was 13 weeks in hospital with 6 1/2 of these in ICU - the total bill was around $140,000, and if Mum & Dad did not have private health insurance, it is possible they would have had to sell their home, thankfully though, the health fund covered the lot.

My mum had a lot of trouble with her heart (dicky hearts run in our family), she was seeing a heart specialist for a long time before he talked her into heart surgery after which she was OK but needed her blood monitored for wolfrin levels. Her GP retired and she went to a medical centre, which didn't monitor her levels regularly, result, a heart attack. Days in ICU, a call from the specialist, asking us to say our farewells, he thought she wouldn't make it, but she did. Weeks in hospital, weeks in rehab, home with home nursing, they couldn't get her stable, so back to hospital for a week, then she gave up and went to God. This all took about four months but was covered by medicare. She has been gone for several years now and I still miss her terribly. Allara.

Having had to find an alarming "gap" on a triple bypass years ago, I have had discussions with other medical related people and the consensus was that private health cover would be terrific IF ONLY the medical practitioners were happy to have your health fund contribution and the medicare subsidy as full payment - which sounds reasonable to me, but that's only MHO!!!!

We dont have health cover (cant afford it), disability pension etc etc.... so far so good. However was at the mate's place last week - he has just had open heart surgery, replaced aorta valve - he has health cover and it was all done briskly efficiently, in a private hospital and he is recoving nicely - now I had to ask myself, now if I was in his position, what would be the outcome be for me? maybe a long waiting list with deteriorating health.... or worse - not a pleasant thought....

Quietmike wrote:

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Having had to find an alarming "gap" on a triple bypass years ago, I have had discussions with other medical related people and the consensus was that private health cover would be terrific IF ONLY the medical practitioners were happy to have your health fund contribution and the medicare subsidy as full payment - which sounds reasonable to me, but that's only MHO!!!!

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I too had an alarming "gap" for a kidney procedure recently....to the tune of $1100.

I was under the impression that I was fully covered both for the hospital (which I was) and the Doctor.  At no time was I told that he charged double the scheduled fee so consequently I now have to come up with the "gap".   On a pension that's very hard to do.

I pay $180 a month on health insurance which is hard and then to have to fork out more......well, think most of you know how it is.

The only "up" side is that I didn't have to wait for the procedure.

 

We have only ever had ancillary cover,we have never had any problem getting first class treatment when required.For people who have always had hospital cover,it must be a bit scarey giving it up,or thinking about giving it up.

I have extras cover only. This covers dental, optical, physio, chiro, and other health services, even some of the non-mainstream alternate medical stuff. If you need surgery urgently you'll get your surgery. You only have to wait if the specialist determines you're not "crook" enough yet. If the pain and discomfort becomes debilitating, or the illness becomes life-threatening, you'll have your surgery. If you have been on a waiting list longer than you believe is a reasonable time, please contact the hospital or the surgeon to remind them you're still waiting, and your current circumstances and state of physical and mental health. I've done this after waiting for 12 months for a condition which was considered urgent because of the impact on my overall health. I phoned the hospital to see where I was on the waiting list. I found out I wasn't, so I organised an appointment with the surgeon and things moved along quite quickly after that. If you sit back and wait forever, you'll wait forever. Speak up, follow up, and all the best to you.

Hi Ma,

Some surgeons only charge what your private health rebate will be, but not all surgeons are the same. They can really charge what they like, unfortunately. We have private health insurance for top hospital cover and doctor of our choice, and when I had a couple of procedures just recently, my surgeon told me at the initial consultation that he would only charge the MBF rebate, but that the anaesthetist would charge probably like a wounded bull - and he did. Mind you, his account did offer a discount of over $100 if the account was paid in full before a certain date - which, because we're both still working, we could. If you think about it, GP's can charge what they like too, and it differs from surgery to surgery, town to town, and city to city. I guess they study for a long time and sometimes work the most unGodly long hours, but I still would like to see some sort of government watchdog to steady things up a bit.