Private Health Insurance FAQs

Q.  Why is Private Health Insurance needed?
A.  You choose the medical specialist.
You choose the hospital.
Reduce or eliminate waiting periods for treatment.

Benefits for ancillary services are not covered by Medicare, including dental, optical, various therapies such as physiotherapy, chiropractic, acupuncture,  natural therapies, massage, podiatry, psychology, plus certain pharmaceutical items and dieticians, etc.

Q.  Can you be penalised for not having health insurance?
A.   You can be penalised an additional 1.5% Medicare Levy if you do not have an approved hospital cover, and earn in excess of $90,000 per year as a single, or $180,000 per year as a couple/family.  The family threshold increases by $1,500 per child, not including the first child.
You should take up hospital cover as soon as possible, after turning 30, to avoid paying age levies.

Q.  What happens if you already have health insurance?
A.   We will research the industry, after receiving your completed details on the “free health insurance recommendation“ page, and provide you with a  comparison to your current fund.

Q.  Will you be penalised if you transfer to another fund?
A.   No!  The new fund will recognise any waiting periods you have served with your current fund, for the same services.

Q.   Does private hospital cover pay all costs when hospitalised?
A.   100% Hospital Cover, will fully cover all standard hospital costs such as your accommodation, theatre fees, labour ward charges, intensive care charges, coronary care charges, and standard drugs and medicines, after you pay whatever excess you may carry with your health fund.
You will also be covered for medical treatment incurred when hospitalised, up to the Medicare Schedule Fee, and for whatever part of medical charges over and above the Schedule Fee that your Fund has agreed to pay with your medical specialists.

Q.  How easy is it to claim?
A.  Nowadays, most health funds provide membership cards which can be used as a “swipe“ card with your hospital or service provider, eliminating the need to lodge claims.
Otherwise claims can be processed by mail, or lodged through any Medicare office, who will then forward the claim to your fund.

Q.  Are health insurance premiums tax-deductible?
A.   No, but the Federal Government provides a rebate on all health insurance premiums.  The rebate is 30% until you are 64 years of age, from 65-69 the rebate is 35%, and from 70 onwards the rebate is 40%.

Would you like more information? Simply contact us using the details below.