Private Health Insurance

[grandmoon]

Would you keep paying for full Private Health Insurance after you retire and go onto the pension and get your Health Care Card.

[lurker17260]

We keep it up mainly for the extras.  We both wear glasses that need changing every 1-2 years, OH has regular chiro and physio treatments, I have remedial massage therapy regularly and of course there's dentistry.  A friend put the wind up me recently when he was told he needed about 20K worth of dental work done!  We wouldn't be covered for any of that publically.

[catsnknots]

Keep it if you can afford it... it does make a big difference... 

the public system may not be able to give you the attention you need right away so you may opt to go into the private system to get a job done faster. 

[sammee4211]

My husband and I are both retired and receive a small pension so therefore a Health Card. We have been paying into private health for years and never used it *touch wood* as yet.

I know so many friends who are in private health and have ops and they are so out of pocket! I really do wonder if it's worth it.

Years ago with private health cover, you weren't out of pocket for one cent. Now it's all changed.

[lyndal1838]

Private health cover went to the dogs when the government started meddling in it...when Medibank Private entered the arena.

When my children were born in 1969 and 1973 I saw specialists both times...I was not one cent put of pocket for doctors or hospitals.

We went to dentists and optometrists without one cent coming from our pockets and never seemed to reach our payout limits....and then the government decided they could do better. 

Now it is a case of pay your premiums and see how long it takes to reach your limits...then dig even deeper into your pocket.

My mother had open heart surgery as a private patient in a public hospital.  She shared a room with a lady having the same surgery, same doctors, same nursing staff, same everything.  She was thousands of $$ out of pocket, the other lady paid nothing as she was a pensioner.  Great system we have now!!

The only real advantage I have seen was when my father had a series of mini strokes. He was told to return to see the specialist in 6 weeks and all being equal he would need an operation to scrape the artery in his neck.  We saw the specialist who said that the optimum time for the operation would be in 3 weeks time.  I thought that was a laugh as the waiting times were quite long at the time. As soon as Dad agreed to the op as a private hospital the specialist picked up the phone, booked him in for the procedure on the day he wanted and we were on our way....but again it cost many $$ out of pocket.

[kengillard]

Obviously those with priv. don't have the correct cover.  OH had quad. open heart surgery not long ago.....in hospital for 3 weeks...no cost to us.   I was in hospital and rehab for 6 weeks..no cost to us.  We have top hospital cover and have had for years.   As you get older you need hospital accomm. more and more. So we certainly wouldn't stop it now.

[peelapotata]

I think the public health system may go the way of america .... no cover no care ....

you see it all the time on tv and in the papers .... if you dont have medical insurance in the US you dont get seen in a hospital unless its an emergency .,.... they do have free clinics ...but they are not the best .... having said that ... I do think there are many levels of health insurance in the US .... so you can choose the level that covers minor things etc ...and doesnt cost a bomb ....

I have always had it ... havent needed it yet .... **touch wood** .... but you never know ... and my daughter also has it ... she is healthy as a horse ... plays roller derby about 4 or 5 times a week ....but hey you never know whats around the corner .... fit or not ! 😉

[azureline**]

I would consider it as a pensioner if you think you may need it for things that are not life threatening, so it depends on your health status.

[kayza40]

When I had my heart attack I had the best care in public.  I had my own Cardiologist and when I was transferred a week later to the PAH for an angiogram he was the Cardiologist who performed it.  I then seen him straight after, I also attended Cardiac Rehabilitation for 8 months.  All at no cost to me as a public patient. 

My son has had problems with his ears all his life, when he was little and he was put on a 2 year waiting list, I paid out of my pocket for a surgeon and anaethesiest then he went and had the operation within a month.  Still in the public hospital system..  20 years later when his adnoids grew back at an alarming rate and size he was booked in for surgery within 2 weeks.

I think the only time I would pay for private cover is if I wanted some kind of elective surgery like a lap band or a tummy tuck.  My friend told me the other day she pays $180 either a month or fortnight, most likely monthly.  That shocked me.

[kayza40]

I don't understand how anyone on the pension can afford private health cover.  Jeez no wonder they whinge about being broke if thats what they spend their money on.  It costs a fortune.

[bella_again]

Anyone on a govt pension would struggle to pay full PH unless they are set up well or have other income.  We have extras and even that is getting expensive, however it does do our glasses and physio.  We don't do the dentist unless we really have to, DD's still have access to the school dental program but for us to get into the public dentist is a 3 year wait.

Nothings perfect though and I think you do make do with what you are able to do.  We did pay full private health in the 90's but it got to the point it was either that or the house, we couldn't do both...