Author: Trudie McConnochie

When you’re admitted to a public hospital, if it’s not an emergency, you’ll probably be asked if you have private health insurance. If you say ‘yes’, you’ll be asked if you’d like to use your health cover. Should you agree to be a private patient in a public hospital, and what happens if you don’t? We bust the myths, and help you decide. Myth 1: Being a private patient means you’ll get your own room Single rooms in a public hospital are allocated according...

If you need extra help to navigate challenges in life, seeing a psychologist can be a good source of support. According to ABS data, in 2024-25 17.3% of Australians saw a health professional for mental health, with 8.5% seeing a psychologist. But sessions with a psychologist aren’t cheap, with the Australian Psychological Society suggesting 45-60 minute sessions cost around $330 for 2026-27. If you’re considering starting therapy, your private health insurance might be able to reduce the cost...

Cancer survival rates are increasing in Australia, which the government’s Cancer Plan says is thanks to better screening programs, earlier detection and improved treatments. Chemotherapy is one of the key treatments for many types of cancer, where drugs that destroy cancer cells are given orally, through an IV or as a cream, according to the Cancer Council. Depending on your insurer and doctor’s advice, you may be eligible to have chemotherapy in your own home, administered through specialised nursing programs,...

When you choose a health insurance policy, you likely look at the treatments covered and the premium, but you probably don’t check whether the policy includes accident cover. Not knowing whether or not you have accident cover could make a big difference when you need hospital treatment – and as a recent ABC News story found, that confusion could cost you thousands of dollars. Here’s what you need to know about accident cover to...

If you’re waiting for varicose veins surgery in a public hospital, you could be waiting months. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, more than 50% of people waited more than 133 days (4.5 months) for varicose veins surgery in a public hospital in 2024-25. If you have Hospital Cover that includes the Heart and Vascular System clinical category, you could skip the queue and go to a private hospital for...

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in Australia, according to the Cancer Council, with more than 2 in 3 of us likely to be diagnosed in our lifetime. One of the most common treatments – including melanoma, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma – is surgical excision to remove the lesion. In fact, based on Medicare data, more than 100 skin cancer treatments for squamous and basal cell carcinoma took...

Kidney stones are a painful condition that can affect 1 in 10 men and 1 in 35 women in Australia. While most stones will pass by themselves, some people will need to go to hospital for treatment and pain relief. In an emergency, you’ll be treated free in a public hospital but there can be long waiting lists for non-emergency kidney stone treatment. It’s faster to get treated in a private hospital, but there...

If you have wisdom teeth that need to be removed, you could be facing a painful experience for both your mouth and your wallet. Dental treatments are generally not covered under Medicare so health insurance can help with your costs – but there may be large out-of-pocket costs. Here’s what you need to know about using health insurance for wisdom teeth removal.  How much does wisdom teeth removal cost? Wisdom teeth removal...