Author: Trudie McConnochie

If you’ve ever had to call an ambulance and then received a bill a few days later, you’ll know all too well that ambulance treatment in Australia is not funded by Medicare. In 2 states, ambulance call-outs are funded by their state governments, but for most of Australia, calling an ambulance will set you back…

Maybe you’ve just finished studying or you’re moving out of home. Maybe you’ve entered your 30s or got married. Whatever your reasons for getting your own health insurance instead of relying on your parents’ health cover, it’s a good feeling to be taking control of your finances and becoming independent. It can, however, be a…

If you have Hospital Cover and you’re being admitted to hospital for a procedure or treatment, don’t assume your insurer will cover all your costs. Whether you’re going in as a private patient in a private hospital, or a private patient in a public hospital, you may need to pay some costs towards your treatment…

Knee replacements are one of the most common elective surgeries in Australia, with around 53,000 performed a year for osteoarthritis. For those people, and those with knee injuries, knee replacement surgery can be life-changing, giving back mobility and flexibility… but they often have to wait several months for it. For that reason, having Hospital Cover…

If you’re among the many Australians awaiting a hip replacement, you’re in good company. Around 35,500 total hip replacements are done every year in Australia, and for those who go through a public hospital, the average wait is around 175 days. That’s a long time to be in pain and having trouble walking – so…

When you look at your bank statement, health insurance is probably one of the higher costs appearing in the ‘money out’ column. Private Health Insurance can certainly comprise a large chunk of most Aussie household budgets, especially when you consider premiums usually increase every year. Here are some of the reasons health insurance costs so…

With the end of the financial year rapidly approaching, you’re probably starting to think about your upcoming tax return. To help you prepare, we asked chartered accountant and tax expert Marianna Agostino, director of Conscious Wealth Creation, for advice on how Private Health Insurance could affect how much you pay (or get back from) the…

So, you’ve taken a look at your health insurance policy and are questioning if it’s still right for you. Maybe it doesn’t fit your budget, or maybe it’s not meeting your healthcare needs. Whatever the reason you have to switch, we’re here to help you change to a new health insurance policy without the headaches. …

If you’re thinking about changing health insurers, we’ve got your back.   You can change your policy and insurer whenever you like, and your right to do so is protected under the Private Health Insurance Act 2007. That means you can change insurers without being penalised, although you may have to serve new waiting periods on…

You might change your wardrobe every season, and might also switch jobs on a regular basis. But when it comes to health insurance, most Aussies are a little resistant to change. In a 2021 University of Melbourne study of health insurance habits, researchers noted that once people choose a health insurance policy, they tend to…