HELP!! Which PHI (private health insurance) should i choose??????

Hi,

Help me!! I've decided to improve my health and go for it and get a gastric sleeve, but.................. which private health insurance (PHI) should i go with? The sooner i choose one, the quicker the 12 month wait will be. I'm currently with AHM, however my current level of insurance doesnt cover it + I"m single with no dependants.


#What should i expect to pay per fortnight?

#which PHI do you use?

# what questions etc. should i ask PHI companies? (eg, I've heard you have to be careful, as some PHI's only cover surgery in public not private hospitals etc.)

I'd love to hear from you and your experiences!?

Thanks everyone.

Hugs Tiff

If you have chosen a surgeon, just ring their rooms and ask nicely. They will know which phi gives the best deal for sleeves. If they don' want to say, at least extract what the top three they would suggest are.
Research on the net, ring and ask about WLS cover specifically and the PHI should tell you what they offer.

Tiff wrote:

#What should i expect to pay per fortnight?

#which PHI do you use?

# what questions etc. should i ask PHI companies? (eg, I've heard you have to be careful, as some PHI's only cover surgery in public not private hospitals etc.)

I'd love to hear from you and your experiences!?

Thanks everyone.

Hugs Tiff

I pay $83ish a fortnight but i have complete top cover, extras with no excess and i think that is on the higher side.
I am with NIB, i am really happy with them
When i took my cover out i asked if they covered the sleeve, i had to give them the item number (which is somewhere on this site) but thats all i asked.

Hi Tiff,

Welcome to the site and congratulations on getting organised with a view to better health! There are so many PHI companies. The website I have linked below will give you a good unbiased rundown of all the companies. You can type in your preferences to narrow down your search. Then you could perhaps choose a couple of prospective companies, check out their websites, then give them a call. It is OK to ask them outright whether they do cover certain procedures. The Medicare item number for the sleeve is usually 30511.

http://www.privatehealth.gov.au/

Best wishes in your hunt!

MiddleWoman

hey

im with medibank private ,i have lowest hospital with extras i pay 50.78 per fortnight and mine covered all private hospital.

mel

Hey Tiff,

I am with HIF and my cover is Goldstarter which is the lowest of their hospital covers. I only had to pay a $200 excess as well. They also don't have preferred providers/hospitals so you can actually use whoever you want.

I pay about $22 a fortnight.

Thanks for your help everyone!! PHI - there are so many choices!

its seems to be a lot cheaper if you stay in a shared room, what were your experiences?

I would definately prefer my own room, but to save a little extra money, I would share if the whole experience wasnt too bad.

How many nights do most people stay in hospital for when having the sleeve surgery?

Cheers Tiff

Hi Tiff,

There is a site called "iselect" and that can help you on which may be the better cover for you at that point in time. And just ask for whether they cover 30511 if not look else where. But more importantly its what you can afford and still live whilst paying your PHI...

I know it might be cheaper to share a room but it is amazing having your own. To be able to sleep whenever you want, walk around, get dressed (or undressed) or even watch TV late at night and not be disturbing anyone is worth it. And you don't have to have visitors if you don't want to, if you're sharing a room you might end up with other people in the room whether you want them there or not.

[quote="Fraggle"]I know it might be cheaper to share a room but it is amazing having your own. To be able to sleep whenever you want, walk around, get dressed (or undressed) or even watch TV late at night and not be disturbing anyone is worth it. And you don't have to have visitors if you don't want to, if you're sharing a room you might end up with other people in the room whether you want them there or not.[Its up to you if thats ur preference to be on ur own then expect to pay abit more then the average...At the end of the day its your choicde really!!]

I got a private room at Greenslopes without asking or paying for it :)

kazlikesgreen wrote:

I got a private room at Greenslopes without asking or paying for it :)

I asked for one but it didn't cost me any more, and as far as I know HCF doesn't give you the option if sharing a room for a lower premium.

I am with GMHBA, but I have a family cover for about $200 a month

I just looked on their website and a singles top hospital and top extras is $109.05 a month with no excess and you get paid $50 a night if you do not get a single room. You can only claim Bariatric Surgery if you have Gold or Gold+ hospital. You can lower the monthly premium by having an excess of $250 or $500. 12 month wait for cover to kick in for pre existing illness. The top extras covers heaps.

Whoever you decide on, read the member booklet and ring them with questions.
This PHI has been brilliant for me and my family.

Hi Tiff,



A bit of a delayed reply here but I'm with Medibank Private, have Hospital Cover ONLY and am paying $30.64 a fortnight. Hope this helps :)
Good luck



Leah

hi

I am with AHM lowest hospital cover and got my sleeve they wont cover the lapband but will cover the sleeve just make sure you check the item number with them 30518 i think

Hi Tiff,



PHI will be different from everyone, because of age, top/middle/low hospital cover and or with or without extras. I have to pay 12% more because i didnt join before my 30th birthday. I am with HCF and i pay approx $45 a fortnight, with a $450 excess...i have had no problems with them, they have been outstanding with information regarding my cover and answered all my questions, i made sure i said i wanted a sleeve and cosmetic surgery once i get to my goal weight, and they cover both.



Goodluck with your choice

Hi Tiff,
Congratulations on choosing this path!
The best bet is to ask your surgeon which phi they have a deal with.
I don't know if they are all like that, but I know that I was with mbf originally, and I was going to have an excess of around $4k because my surgeon didn't have a deal with them.
I switched to hbf top hospital, with top extras plus wellness & I pay $90 a fortnight.
I had complications with my surgery & ended up staying for 7 nights, so I was definately glad to have a private room.

Good luck!

Sorry Tiff, I just noticed you're in QLD, hbf is wa only, but I'm sure you'll have a very similar one in your state.