Private health insurance in Australia

agentKams · June 2019

@yani1127 yes you can. medicare can check naman dun sa claims mo sa application.

ElsBeth · June 2019

What do you recommend po for a couple insurance? HCF seems to have good reviews for their hospital + clinics na coverage. Mas mura din sila than bupa.

cibomatto · September 2019

Hi! I just arrived in Adelaide. Very informative posts! May tanong lang ako. Is it imperative that I get private health insurance right away? I mean, I know it's helpful to have that for peace of mind also but I'm trying to conserve my savings until I get a job here. Right now I'm just doing research on which health insurance I'll go with. I've already registered at Medicare yesterday. Thanks in advance!

Captain_A · September 2019

@cibomatto in my opinion considering that you want to save money for the meantime,
if youre single (or even a family) and everyone is relatively healthy , then it is not imperative.
but if some members have health issues and medicare does not cover those, then insurance is really helpful.

cibomatto · September 2019

Thanks @Captain_A ! I'm on maintenance meds for hypertension.. I still have 3 months' worth of meds with me. So I guess I could put it off for now since wala pa ako stable job here. Thanks again!

Captain_A · September 2019

@cibomatto i think covered yan ng medicare, all the best to you

cibomatto · September 2019

I'll also verify with them when I need to consult again to get more meds. Thanks, @Captain_A !

hannakems · December 2019

Hello, we are on visa 489 (SA) ng husband ko. Since we are planning to start a family too, what would be the best insurance provider that you would recommend? Your thoughts and opinions are highly appreciated.

Captain_A · December 2019

@hannakems said:
Hello, we are on visa 489 (SA) ng husband ko. Since we are planning to start a family too, what would be the best insurance provider that you would recommend? Your thoughts and opinions are highly appreciated.

if you plan to have a baby, make sure to take note that it requires atleast 12 months waiting period to avail the services that the insurance will cover for your whole pregnancy period. also, take note that 489 is not yet PR visa so i think baby may need to get her own insurance for all check ups after delivery since baby is not yet au citizen.

i think having 489 visa after 2 yrs u will be eligible for PR visa, being PR parents will give more conveniences to future baby.

hannakems · December 2019

Hello @Captain_A thank you. Yes, we are well aware sa conditions and taking those into consideration too. Sa dami kasi ng insurance provider, i don't know which is the best and at the same time mas budget friendly. If in case you can recommend one, please let me know so that we could look into it.

FearFactory_17 · February 2020

@hannakems said:
Hello @Captain_A thank you. Yes, we are well aware sa conditions and taking those into consideration too. Sa dami kasi ng insurance provider, i don't know which is the best and at the same time mas budget friendly. If in case you can recommend one, please let me know so that we could look into it.

Did u get pregnant na ba? What Insurance did u choose? Same situation here. Were moving to NT in 489 visa and were planning to start a famili

Marites_47 · May 2020

Hi, paadvice lng po, sa mga PR, kumuha po ba kayo ng private health insurance? Lapit n po kasi ako mag one year at nag dadalawang isip ako kung kukuha ako. Thank you

cucci · May 2020

@Marites_47 said:
Hi, paadvice lng po, sa mga PR, kumuha po ba kayo ng private health insurance? Lapit n po kasi ako mag one year at nag dadalawang isip ako kung kukuha ako. Thank you

Pag wala kang private health cover, may additional loading kang 2% (if I remember correctly) para sa Medicare. Binabawas to sa sweldo mo at dinadagdag sa Medicare. Bear in mind also na hindi covered ng Medicare ang dental, eye exam and some other extras... for me ok na rin kahit minimum cover lang.

kramkramkram · May 2020

For those who opted not to get Private Health Insurance(PHI) for now, some PHI services will have a wait time before you can avail it. Most of the time, it's one year after availing it.

cucci · May 2020

@kramkramkram said:
For those who opted not to get Private Health Insurance(PHI) for now, some PHI services will have a wait time before you can avail it. Most of the time, it's one year after availing it.

this is true...

Megger · May 2020

Hello any recommendation for a PHI provider po?

cucci · May 2020

@Megger said:
Hello any recommendation for a PHI provider po?

We're on basic BUPA coverage. Haven't checked if it's the best or cheapest but more than enough to have a sense of peace of mind.

Megger · May 2020

@cucci said:

@Megger said:
Hello any recommendation for a PHI provider po?

We're on basic BUPA coverage. Haven't checked if it's the best or cheapest but more than enough to have a sense of peace of mind.

Thanks sa reply@cucci. Madalas nga namention yong BUPA dito, titingnan ko narin yong mga offers nila.

lecia · May 2020

Pakiiclude nyo na din sa choices nyo ang may Free ambulance pick up coverage. Importante to lalo na pag mahilig mag long distance travel at may emergency case.

Captain_A · May 2020

@cucci said:

@Marites_47 said:
Hi, paadvice lng po, sa mga PR, kumuha po ba kayo ng private health insurance? Lapit n po kasi ako mag one year at nag dadalawang isip ako kung kukuha ako. Thank you

Pag wala kang private health cover, may additional loading kang 2% (if I remember correctly) para sa Medicare. Binabawas to sa sweldo mo at dinadagdag sa Medicare. Bear in mind also na hindi covered ng Medicare ang dental, eye exam and some other extras... for me ok na rin kahit minimum cover lang.

if you are referring to medicare levy surcharge , this is only applicable to those who earns 90k annually for single or 180k combined for couple.

in my opinion, if you are relatively healthy and below the minimum, pwede na no PHI. pero syempre PHI has advantages like no need to be on waiting list, being on private hospital etc (in case of hospitalization).

Captain_A · May 2020

@cucci said:

@Marites_47 said:
Hi, paadvice lng po, sa mga PR, kumuha po ba kayo ng private health insurance? Lapit n po kasi ako mag one year at nag dadalawang isip ako kung kukuha ako. Thank you

Pag wala kang private health cover, may additional loading kang 2% (if I remember correctly) para sa Medicare. Binabawas to sa sweldo mo at dinadagdag sa Medicare. Bear in mind also na hindi covered ng Medicare ang dental, eye exam and some other extras... for me ok na rin kahit minimum cover lang.

Medicare Levy , on the other hand, is mandatory for all earning above 27k annually.. prorata to, max of 2% of your taxable income

Captain_A · May 2020

-consider your annual income first
-your state of health

overall, PHI is advisable if you are financially capable and/or wants peace of mind for yourself and/or your family.

Captain_A · May 2020

also take note PHI premiums increases regularly

Ozlaz · May 2020

@Captain_A said:
also take note PHI premiums increases regularly

Sir kayo po, meron po ba kayong PHI?

Captain_A · June 2020

@Ozlaz said:

@Captain_A said:
also take note PHI premiums increases regularly

Sir kayo po, meron po ba kayong PHI?

hindi po ako kumuha..

kramkramkram · June 2020

PHI came in handy for us. My wife needs to have a procedure. Thru the public health system, It would take a wait time of 6-8 months. It was not life-threatening but I can't let my wife (or any of my family members) to suffer while waiting for the procedure. Thru public health care, you can't choose the doctor as well.

We also use our PHI for our dental needs. We got orthodontic cover so it paid for my son's braces too. I felt bad for some fellow kabayans who would rather bear the pain of having a toothache than see a dentist. Dental services for adults are a bit expensive without PHI. Also, another reason, is they would rather go to the Philippines for dental services which is cheaper.

For me, its about priorities. The same kabayan have his family on the latest iPhone/iWatch/air pods that are available and I am still on my trusty Galaxy S6.

xiaolico · June 2020

To add lang din, if plan mo talaga kumuha ng private. Wag mo patagalin, may time frame yan eh. Pag lipat mo au, may discount yung PHI mo if kumuha ka within the time frame. My family and I are on Bupa. Private nanganak si misis. wala kami binayad kahit piso. tas covered na agad yung baby without additional payment. Me personally, I think it is more of a necessity rather than a Luxury. Ok ang medicare for sure. Pero you will never know eh.

iamvee · June 2020

I'm on 489 and currently with BUPA. Presently pregnant and I get to claim almost 50% of my expenses for antenatal checkups and pathology tests. Kaka book-in ko lang sa hospital (due in July) and confirmed 100% covered yung hospital fees ko as a Private patient.

Insurance is definitely a necessity lalo na kung hindi ka pa PR and walang Medicare.

Captain_A · June 2020

@iamvee said:
I'm on 489 and currently with BUPA. Presently pregnant and I get to claim almost 50% of my expenses for antenatal checkups and pathology tests. Kaka book-in ko lang sa hospital (due in July) and confirmed 100% covered yung hospital fees ko as a Private patient.

Insurance is definitely a necessity lalo na kung hindi ka pa PR and walang Medicare.

congratulations on your coming baby