GENERAL HEALTH you to choose and compare various packages from different health fund providers, making it easy to see which level of cover from which provider best suits your needs. It’s simple to do and won’t cost you anything – in fact, it may even save you money! It’s a matter of matching your risk profi le with the right cover. But it’s important to understand exactly what’s been excluded from your policy. You should also take note of what is and isn’t covered on your policy - not all policies are comprehensive. Another way you can avoid paying too much for health insurance is to take out a policy with a higher excess. Like any insurance, the higher the excess, the cheaper the premium. Generally, if you don’t make many hospital claims – no more than one every two years – you’re better off with a high-excess policy, argues the Australian Consumers’ Association. In this case, make sure you have a little cash on hand to pay the excess if necessary. Some insurers offer ancillary services within their hospital cover. They can cover private hospital outpatient services; out-of-hospital visits to dentists, psychologists, and podiatrists; fi tness and smoking cessation programs; and treatment for chronic conditions like asthma and diabetes. According to the government, the aim of this is to broaden hospital cover to include preventative measures that will help keep people out of hospital, which will in turn save on hospital costs and keep premiums down. But as a general rule of thumb in the insurance industry, expanded cover means higher premiums. Health blogger Annalies Corse says private health insurance benefi ts can be categorised to suit every decade of your life. If you are in your twenties, policies can cover you for preventive medicine, massages, and complementary medicine and gym memberships. She says it’s important to note that if you are in your twenties, working and not a student, you will no longer be covered by your family’s private health cover. In your thirties, it’s likely that lifestyle services pindaramagazine.com.au Pindara Magazine 31
Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue One
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