Author: Trudie McConnochie

Of the 48 insurers selling health insurance in Australia right now, 22 of them are not-for-profit, which means they aren’t focused on making and returning a profit to shareholders. So, does that mean policies from these insurers are cheaper? Here, we explore whether you’ll save money on health insurance by buying a policy from a...

Just a few decades ago cosmetic surgery was relatively uncommon, but it has had a big increase in Australia in the past 10 years. In fact, according to the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, more cosmetic procedures are done per capita in Australia than in the USA. And 2023 research from...

Unlike Hospital Cover, Extras Cover is the form of health insurance that won’t help you avoid the Medicare Levy Surcharge, so it might not be a big priority for some people. But if you want to save money on health maintenance costs, such as dental treatments and physiotherapy, Extras Cover can be a good investment....

According to recent data from the ATO, record numbers of Australians are now paying the Medicare Levy Surcharge at tax time. If that’s you – or you think you might be at risk of being charged it next year – here’s what you need to know.  Do I have to pay the Medicare Levy Surcharge? ...

It’s one of the most common mistakes we hear about at healthslips.com.au – people taking out the cheapest health insurance to avoid the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS), but not checking what the policy includes. As a result, they end up with a ‘junk policy’ – one that provides so little cover it’s ineffective. The good...

Almost half of Australian adults experience sleep problems regularly, and if you or a family member is one of them, there are treatments available. The good news is that some treatments for sleep apnoea and other sleep issues are covered by health insurance.    Does health insurance cover sleep studies?  A sleep study is where you’re...

Lifetime Health Cover Loading (LHCL) is one of the most misunderstood areas of health insurance. It’s a penalty the government created to encourage Aussies to take out Hospital Cover before the age of 31. After that age, if you’re starting Hospital Cover you’ll pay an extra 2% on Hospital Cover for every year over 30...

At the time of writing, there are 48 health insurers in Australia, each of them offering a vast array of policies at different levels of cover and varying prices. So, how do you choose? How can you decide what’s the best private health insurer in Australia? Here, we break it down.  What’s the best private...