Author: Trudie McConnochie

Health insurers are always keen to attract new members, especially when the annual 1 April price increases are announced. You might have seen ads promoting waiting periods being waived, a certain amount of membership weeks for free, or even gift products like retailer gift cards. But are these health insurance promotions and deals worth it,...

When you’re claiming private hospital treatment on Hospital Cover, you probably assume all your costs will be covered – so it can be a bit of a shock to learn you might have to pay a Gap (out-of-pocket costs). Fortunately, health insurance Gap cover schemes – offered by many insurers – can help you reduce or eliminate out-of-pocket costs. Here’s how they work. Why do Gaps exist? Gaps happen when doctors charge more than the Medicare Benefits...

If you’ve been told you’ll need surgery in the near future and you have private health insurance, you might be wondering whether it’s better to go to a public or private hospital. In 2023-24, around 67% of elective surgeries in Australia were done in private hospitals. While being treated in a public hospital is free under Medicare, there may be long waits to be seen by a specialist and then to have your surgery – and you can’t choose...

It’s a question we’re asked often at healthslips.com.au: what’s the cheapest health insurer in Australia? There is no definitive answer because everyone’s health and insurance needs are different. But if you’re trying to save money on health insurance, here are some tips to help you find the most affordable insurer for your unique needs. 1....

If you’ve got Extras Cover, you might be covered for the cost of vaccinations, but the type of shots you can claim and the amount can be wildly different. Let’s look more closely at cover for vaccinations on health insurance. Are vaccinations covered by Medicare? Yes, if a vaccination is recommended for your age group...

If you’re looking for a new Hospital Cover policy or upgrading your current policy, you’ll need to decide what private health insurance tier you need. There are 4 tiers of Hospital Cover: Here are the 3 steps to choose your Hospital Cover tier. 1. Decide on your healthcare needs Make a list of the hospital...

If you’ve found yourself googling ‘How much do dentures cost?’, you’ll know that dentures in Australia are not cheap. Fortunately, you can use health insurance for denture costs, although there are some conditions. Here’s what you need to know about claiming dentures on private health insurance. How much do dentures cost? The cost of dentures...

Waiting for hernia surgery can be a long, and potentially painful, process. The latest data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that the median wait time for hernia surgery was 77 days (around 2.5 months). But that’s only an average – around 6% of people waited more than a year for their...