Health Insurance recommendation?

markymark21

Alright Folks. So it looks like me and the GF are going to end up being sponsored in the next few weeks. Now I know that the reciprocal agreement means you don't need insurance to get the 457 but I reckon It wouldn't harm to have it anyway - ya never know what can happen and all that!

So I was looking at Bupa or Medibank, anyone got any experience with either of these guys? I was looking at the basic cover which is around $35 a week for the two of us, seems kinda dear compared to back home but I figured it would be more expensive over here.. the likes of 'Australian Unity' do a basic package for $25 as well but I'm not too sure be honest! HCF seem to have won a few awards but they're a bit more expensive at nearly $50 a week

So yeh, I dunno where to start. Anyone got any first hand experience on who's good and who to avoid?

Batgurl

markymark21 wrote: »

I was looking at the basic cover which is around $35 a week for the two of us, seems kinda dear compared to back home but I figured it would be more expensive over here..

$35 a week for two people??? Where are you seeing that? That is dirt cheap if you are looking at the right policy. You need to be going for an overseas visitors policy if on a 457 and these are always way more as Medicare don't cover your gaps.

I'm paying $140 a month for just me and I'm on Classic with extras (Bupa). Classic on it's own (which is the bare minimum - docs plus public hospital) would be about $110 a month I think.

I thoroughly agree with you though, health insurance is so handy to have and worth the few quid a week/month for piece of mind. I've used it occasionally and saved me a fortune of tests/doctors fees.

kdevitt

Batgurl wrote: »

$35 a week for two people??? Where are you seeing that? That is dirt cheap if you are looking at the right policy.

I'd imagine he's looking at prices for citizens and people on PR.

OP - you need insurance specific to a 457 policy, not all companies offer it, and its a lot more expensive.

Mellor

I pay $35 a month for extras only.
I don't see the point in paying for "bare minimum 457" insurance plus extras when the recip. agreement covers bare min (less docs) anyway. Those policys are priced with those on 457 without a recip. agreement in mind.

Batgurl

Mellor wrote: »

I pay $35 a month for extras only.
I don't see the point in paying for "bare minimum 457" insurance plus extras when the recip. agreement covers bare min (less docs) anyway. Those policys are priced with those on 457 without a recip. agreement in mind.

Unfortunately, my company require a sick note if you are out two days in a row or a Friday or a Monday so the doctors bit is what's most important to me.

A lot of my friends are the same so while I agree with Mellor about extras, the cover gives me piece of mind for the more mundane things like cold/flu/stomach bug/chest infection etc

Mellor

That's a pretty crappy rule.
I rarely get sick, when I do i generally take a day off and feel better. If I had to go to the doctor everytime I'd be pretty pissed forking out the cash.

Cooperspale

$156 a month on highest cover with HCF. They bumped me up as my old level was discontinued. Worked out well this year because I've had to have 2 small day procedures and they were $1500 a pop just for the private hospital!! HCF covered all of it and about 20% of surgeon and anesth fees.

Your cover will totally depend on your needs. I didn't take any out for first 18mths but I did have Medicare as permanent resident.
If you need dental or spectacles it's handy.

I don't know details for 457 holders
AND
Everything is dear compared to back home

markymark21

kdevitt wrote: »

Batgurl wrote: »

$35 a week for two people??? Where are you seeing that? That is dirt cheap if you are looking at the right policy.

I'd imagine he's looking at prices for citizens and people on PR.

OP - you need insurance specific to a 457 policy, not all companies offer it, and its a lot more expensive.

But since we aren't obliged to get insurance specifically for the 457 as we're covered under the recipicel agreement is it not possible to just get a basic cover?

Mellor

markymark21 wrote: »

kdevitt wrote: »

Batgurl wrote: »

$35 a week for two people??? Where are you seeing that? That is dirt cheap if you are looking at the right policy.

I'd imagine he's looking at prices for citizens and people on PR.

OP - you need insurance specific to a 457 policy, not all companies offer it, and its a lot more expensive.

But since we aren't obliged to get insurance specifically for the 457 as we're covered under the recipicel agreement is it not possible to just get a basic cover?

The recip doesn't cover a lot of areas like that a PR or citizen would be cover for under Medicare. That's why health cover on a 457 costs more.

If you are eligible for Medicare (eg from the north) you'll pay the same as a Australian even if on a 457

Batgurl

markymark21 wrote: »

But since we aren't obliged to get insurance specifically for the 457 as we're covered under the recipicel agreement is it not possible to just get a basic cover?

The problem is we are only covered for emergency cover in hospitals etc so what we really need is doctors and extras.

Unfortunately, no provider covers just doctors (for obvious reasons). You can do what Mellor does and just pay for extras and hope you never need the doctor but personally I like the peace of mind in knowing I'm covered if I need it.

Even something as simple as getting my pill renewed as over here they only prescribe it for 3 months at a time...not cool.

Sundy

Hey Guys see the attached prices for Medibank Insurance.

My work pay for the Top 85 Working Visa Insurance for me so I'm really lucky.

Mellor

Batgurl wrote: »

You can do what Mellor does and just pay for extras and hope you never need the doctor but personally I like the peace of mind in knowing I'm covered if I need it.

Not quite.
I don't hope that I never need to go to the doctor. I hope that the cost of paying for each visit as I need it will be less than the extra cost I would pay for full cover.

As it stands you are paying $105 more than me per month. Even if I went to the doctor once a month I'd save money.

myflipflops

Mellor wrote: »

Not quite.
I don't hope that I never need to go to the doctor. I hope that the cost of paying for each visit as I need it will be less than the extra cost I would pay for full cover.

As it stands you are paying $105 more than me per month. Even if I went to the doctor once a month I'd save money.

I was thinking the same thing. You need to be going to the doctor a hell of a lot to justify $100 a month extra.

Batgurl

Mellor wrote: »

Not quite.
I don't hope that I never need to go to the doctor. I hope that the cost of paying for each visit as I need it will be less than the extra cost I would pay for full cover.

As it stands you are paying $105 more than me per month. Even if I went to the doctor once a month I'd save money.

Unless of course you earn over $80,000 a year in which case you will get taxed for not having private health insurance.

Also, I can claim a sizable portion of my health insurance back in my tax return (on top of the medicare rebate) so that, together with the minimum 4 x visits a year for prescriptions, kind of balances itself out.

Not to mention peace of mind which you can't really put a value on

Cooperspale

Batgurl wrote: »

The problem is we are only covered for emergency cover in hospitals etc so what we really need is doctors and extras.

Unfortunately, no provider covers just doctors (for obvious reasons). You can do what Mellor does and just pay for extras and hope you never need the doctor but personally I like the peace of mind in knowing I'm covered if I need it.

Even something as simple as getting my pill renewed as over here they only prescribe it for 3 months at a time...not cool.

OCP for 3 mth only; that is not cool. Are you seeing a different Dr each time? Most script that I see are for 12 mth of pill, the odd one for 3 and that's only if someone is changing over or needs monitoring. I would definitely be querying this with your Dr if there's no issue. There are certain Drs out there that don't issue repeats just to get the fee, which is bad form.

Batgurl

Cooperspale wrote: »

OCP for 3 mth only; that is not cool. Are you seeing a different Dr each time? Most script that I see are for 12 mth of pill, the odd one for 3 and that's only if someone is changing over or needs monitoring. I would definitely be querying this with your Dr if there's no issue. There are certain Drs out there that don't issue repeats just to get the fee, which is bad form.

Monitoring unfortunately.

Even if I didn't need to get the scripts every few months, I'd probably still have health insurance though.

I get where the other posters are coming from in that if you need to go to the doctors, the cost of the docs does not equal cost of health insurance.

But the same could be said of any health insurance; 457-related or not. You can take the chance that by saving your fees each month, you can cover the cost of any treatment possibly needed in future.

But that's a gamble because the cost of treatment could exceed savings from policy.

I'm not a gambler so I don't take those risks.

And before anyone starts telling me "sure the reciprocal agreement covers those risks", reciprocal covers necessary emergency care. It doesn't cover the rest.

http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/medicare/reciprocal-health-care-agreements/health-care-for-visitors-to-australia

mandrake04

Batgurl wrote: »

I'm not a gambler so I don't take those risks.

And before anyone starts telling me "sure the reciprocal agreement covers those risks", reciprocal covers necessary emergency care. It doesn't cover the rest.

You are right the reciprocal covers only necessary or non-elective treatment.

I have medicare and I still have Health Insurance, very simple reason if I had a non emergency problem like a knee joint that still affected my quality of life (or working life) to a point rather than wait 18 months to have it done for free on medicare I can pay $10K to have it it done privately. If I have Health Insurance that will cover about 80% of that and I just pay the gap.

If you are on the reciprocal agreement you don't have the choice of waiting for free treatment, you either pay $10K or return home and get it done in Ireland.

Health Insurance is just that.... Insurance. If you can afford to self insure fair enough its one of life choices.

I can give a really good example of this, Irish guy I know of on a 457 buys a cheap car and has an accident where he wrecks the car, a telegraph pole and a fence. Ambulance is called and he is taken to John Hunter Hosp.

He has a bad gash on his leg, bang to the head, cuts to his face and elbow and whip lash. He is lucky not to have been killed and spends 2 days in Hospital.

The Hospital patched him up alright, but he got charged $800 for the Ambulance.

He also has now an ongoing problem with his back and shoulder where he finds it difficult to lift something or extend his right arm which one of them might need corrective surgery. He already has spent a fortune on consultant fees plus he has taken a load of days off work unpaid.

to add to the pain his car was not Fully comp. insured, so he lost $4000 there.

He had rego and CTP greenslip, but that didn't cover the cost of the pole or fence which the Energy company now want $3500 for .

So far he is out of pocket over $10K and his non emergency injuries are probably going cost him at least another 5 large, he works with a friend of mine who has lent him $2000 and his housemates are carrying him big time with rent and bills.

If he had health insurance and 3rd party car insurance he would have saved himself a lot of grief as the health insurance would have paid for treatment of injuries and the ambulance and the insurance would have paid for the pole and fence.

The cost of the car he probably could live with, but his injuries are affecting his ability to earn money which means bar a miracle recovery he is going to end up back in Ireland.

markymark21

Yeh that's the sort of thing I'd be worried about. Getting patched up in the hospital is one thing but the cost of rehabilitation, dental work and the likes are extortionate over here.

HIF seem to offer some good packages. $80 a fortnight for the two of us for their full cover or $36 for the 'special options'.. I reckon with the reciprocal agreement and 'special options' package which covers physio, major dental, ambulance, optical, Pharmaceutical Drugs etc we'd be fairly safe

Mellor

Is agree with those sentiments mandrake. It's insurance against the big situations you may find yourself. It's a premium, but it you can afford it, then it's probably wise.

I wasn't disagreeing with a benefit to insurance, I was disagreeing with the idea that it helps with occasional trips to the GP.

Batgurl

markymark21 wrote: »

HIF seem to offer some good packages. $80 a fortnight for the two of us for their full cover or $36 for the 'special options'.. I reckon with the reciprocal agreement and 'special options' package which covers physio, major dental, ambulance, optical, Pharmaceutical Drugs etc we'd be fairly safe

Yup, that seems like a good option.

The important things to look out for are:

- How much of the gap the provider will cover? My provider will pay up to 175% of the gap. Which means I do not have to pay extra when I go to a private doctor as the doctors fees are not 175% off bulk billing fees. If your doctor bulk bills then obviously this is less of an issue

- Compare the return given for those extras. They'll say they cover the likes of dental, physio etc. but when you check the fine print you will see you'll only get back $18 of a $90 check-up or $30 on a $120 clean.

- What are the waiting periods and will the provider waive them? Most will insist on a two month waiting period for everything but they can waive this for some things. However, the 12 month waiting period is applicable to most major extras etc. and this will not be waived so you'll just have to sit it out.

Best of luck!

mandrake04

Mellor wrote: »

Is agree with those sentiments mandrake. It's insurance against the big situations you may find yourself. It's a premium, but it you can afford it, then it's probably wise.

I wasn't disagreeing with a benefit to insurance, I was disagreeing with the idea that it helps with occasional trips to the GP.

Yeah I know that, but I thought I would mention this as its a recent case that highlight exactly what can go wrong.

If your leg is hanging off the hospital are obliged to fix it first and who pays the bill is secondary. If you are in an accident at work ....Workcover can pay. If you are hit by a bus the bus company insurance pays. If you come out of the Tea gardens steaming and try to climb over a fence and impale yourself the recipricol pays. If you are an illegal overstayer you are not covered by the recipricol, I doubt workcover would want to cover you either since you shouldn't be working but the bus insurance might pay out.

On the 457 you are not entitled to any centre link benefits, getting fit to return to work would be a priority.


Also on the subject of Insurance many Irish people think that Rego/Greenslip means you are insured... you are only insured for personal injury to other road users.

With the CTP you are not insured for any 3rd party property or even yourself if you are driver at fault.

s.c

Batgurl wrote: »

Unless of course you earn over $80,000 a year in which case you will get taxed for not having private health insurance.

If you are not entiled to Medicare, how would you be liable to pay the Medicare Levy Surcharge??

Batgurl

s.c wrote: »

If you are not entiled to Medicare, how would you be liable to pay the Medicare Levy Surcharge??

The same way you don't get a waiver on paying the Medicare Levy to begin with. You have to pay it and then claim it back in tax returns at the end of each year.