Private Health - cancer and heart related treatment

[LouiseMark]

Hello!

Private Health insurance has been discussed a lot and I have read lots and lots of posts on various site. I am now gathering quotes but I am confused by some of the items listed or not listed when preparing a quote online.

I did use iselect once and never again as they don't leave you alone!

So here is my question - HCF specifically mentions cancer treatment eg chemotherapy but Bupa and Medibank do not mention it at all in their comparative options. However, Bupa state "All other inpatient treatments receiving a Medicare benefit" and Medibank state "All other in-hospital services where a Medicare benefit is payable unless they are restricted or excluded.The Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) lists all the medical services subsidised by the Australian Government through Medicare. This includes thousands of in-hospital services that we pay benefits towards."

So does this mean that cancer is covered by Medicare? Is it therefore a given that most health funds do include this?

Heart surgery seems to be one that they either cover or don't - would a person who suddenly has a heart attack with no previous history be treated through Medicare?

As much as we would like to think we are young and this is all for "old People", heading into our late 40's means we have to thinking about these things now!

Right now I am a bit overwhelmed with all the options and extras, exclusions and inclusions etc etc.

Thanks for any info anyone could shed on this.

 

[RYLC]

As long as you have a visa that allows you to access Medicare, you are covered for everything medically necessary. So with a heart attack or cancer you would be treated free under Medicare.  It doesn't cover medication on release from hospital in my experience but everything else required for your treatment. The only issue with Medicare is waiting times and what they consider urgent versus elective surgery.  For example, hip and knee replacements are treated as elective so you might wait a year for a free operation.  A family member waited nearly 5 months for a hysterectomy for instance.  A child I know waited just on a year to see a urologist for a "minor" issue. So unless life threatening, there'll be a wait.

[LouiseMark]

@RYLC thanks for the information! Now to make the decision on which provider! They all seem much of a muchness to me.Thanks again!

 

[Mara]

@LouiseMark

 

I have belonged to HCF for 15 years, we have 100% Hospital cover, no co-payments, as long as we use a government or private hospital that HCF contracts with. We do not have any extras cover, we pay for that ourselves as we do not deem it worth it.

 

I have been hospitalised a number of times, and in 2012 was in hospital 5,5 weeks and three times in theater, the final time was for open heart surgery to fix a hereditary problem. Cost of this particular stay was $72,000. They paid for the doctors, scan, ultra sounds, medication, private room with bath, you name it and it was included. The only thing that I paid for was the $8.00 daily rental for Foxtel TV in my room, which is now free, as I was there two months ago for an overnight stay.

 

In order to get overseas travel insurance, nobody would talk to me, but HCF kindly gave me travel insurance a year after my surgery, yes it was loaded, yes it was limited, yes they wanted a letter from my cardiologist, but at least they gave me insurance. In 2016, they once again gave me travel insurance, again limited, but this time at a far better price.

 

I am not saying to with them, I am just letting you know that I have never had a problem with them.