Private Hospitals and insurance

[Bruce]

In the news, this 78 y/o woman who had paid her private health cover for years was refused admission to Hobart private hospital because of her age.

 

A very similar thing happened to my Auntie Pat, when we were told by the Ashford private hospital that she wasn't welcome back there next time, on account of ( they didn't say this explicitly ) she had become unprofitable for them.

 

I reckon that they should disclose this policy up front so that silly old people don't live in a fantasy world. Auntie Pat finished being looked after in a nice Catholic place ( she had been anti-Catholic for ignorant reasons) and the public hospital system, despite being proudly "private".

 

Maybe right-wing oldies are easy to rip off, methinks.

 

 

[facthunter]

Capitalism has all the answers so I'm led to believe. Isn't insurance where the premiums pay for the hard luck of some contributors? Nev

 

 

[gareth lacey]

Insurance companies = parasites

 

 

[Marty_d]

Yep, those right-wingers really hate socialism... until they come up against a privatised medical system.

 

 

[facthunter]

The real test is how they handle a claim. Not how little they charge for a premium. Nev

 

 

[Bruce]

Yep, the bit of information the insurance companies know very well but don't disclose is the payout percentage. That is, what percentage of claims are actually paid out.

 

I reckon we need an insurance buyers co-op to sort this out.

 

 

[Yenn]

Wasn’t it John Howard who promised that if we all joined up for health insurance, the premiums would go down? Now it seems premiums are going up and up, plus we have to pay extra to get anything done.

 

I am glad I didn’t listen to our worst prime minister.

 

 

[red750]

Reawakening an old thread.

 

How many of you have received notification that from March, you will not be covered for hospital insurance?

 

Canadian company Healthscope, who operate a vast number of private hospitals in Australia, particularly in Victoria, have cancelled their arrangements with health insurance companies, and hospital costs will be out-of-pocket expenses. I thought it was just my health insurance, but on resumption of the Men's Shed today, we discovered that it covers many health insurance companies. Our co-ordinator, who has just been through kidney stone treatment, said he would have been up for a few thousand. He heard that Healthscope has done this to increase their profit and line the pockets of their investors. 

[facthunter]

You shop around.   We  are far better off than the USA and it will get worse under the fake Orange face President and Musk.   Nev

[facthunter]

IF their prime aim Is Large profits you'd be better off with Local managers, You can find out more about them.  Nev

[red750]

Here is a list of the Victorian private hospitals where you can no longer claim benefits from your health insurance company. Other states have simalar or smaller lists.  Thr change takes effect from midnight, 3rd March.

 

I have used Knox Private Hospital for a number of treatment, because that is where my specialists operate. My pacemaker was inserted there, and it's battery replaced 9 years later. It is only 5 km down the road, and my cardiologist, urologist and surgeon operate from there.

 

Ringwood Private Hospital is where my wife received her radiation and chemotherapy treatment for cancer. Other private hospitals in the area are not much more than doctors surgeries and don't have emergency departments. Public hospitals are overloaded to the gills with enormous waiting times.Box Hill Hospital is 15 km. away.

 

Healhscope private hospitals in Victoria.

[facthunter]

That's the result of action by those hospitals against Certain Insurers as I understand it. Nev

[onetrack]

Just a correction from Red's post above - Healthscope is not Canadian, it is owned by a North American private equity group, Brookfield.

The row is all about BUPA and AHSA refusing to pay an extra hospital fee that Healthscope is demanding. All the other health insurers have already agreed to pay the fee.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-22/healthscope-ahsa-bupa-private-insurance-contracts/104633886

[red750]

Thanks OT. I was only going on what I was told by our Shed Manager/Co-ordinator, who is employed by the community health service that runs our Shed, and as I said in the OP, has just been in hospital with kidney stones. He said he was told not to use BUPA.

 

My fund is a member of AHSA.