Essentials

If you need to lose a lot of weight for your health, and eating well and exercise haven’t worked, you might be considering surgery. In 2014-15 (the latest statistics available) there were around 22,700 hospitalisations for weight loss surgery procedures in Australia – a number that’s more than doubled since 2005-06 – with 7 out...

If you’re a new migrant, we hope you’re enjoying life in Australia.  One of the things you’ll need to think about as you adjust to life as an Aussie is our healthcare system. While many treatments and services are covered by Medicare, there are some advantages to taking out private health insurance. In some cases, getting...

If you’re likely to need heart surgery, health insurance could be worth your while. While treatment in public hospitals will always be free under Medicare, 1 in 6 Australians are living with heart disease (according to the Heart Foundation), so there may be a wait for non-urgent cardiac treatment in public hospitals. According to Private Healthcare Australia’s Hospital High Claims Report, cardiovascular treatments were among the highest hospital claims paid by insurers in 2024. Here, we...

When you compare Extras Cover with Hospital Cover, you might ask yourself whether you need both. After all, Hospital Cover is there for health events that might involve hospital treatment, while Extras Cover (also known as general or ancillary cover) is often considered more for ‘health maintenance’. So if you want to save money on...

It’s the most common elective procedure performed in Australia, but cataract surgery has a long waiting list in public hospitals. According to Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data, more than 90% of people who had their cataracts done in 2022-23 had to wait more than a year. If you have Private Health Insurance, you...

Taking out a health insurance policy is a great way to cover yourself in the event of illness or an injury. But to claim on that policy, you have to take it out well before you need or get treatment, due to health insurance waiting periods.  A waiting period is the amount of time you have...

If you’re self-employed, either as a small business owner or one of the 1.5 million sole traders or freelancers in Australia, you probably keep a very close eye on the flow of money coming in and out. Health insurance can be a big expense, which means you might be wondering if you can do without...

If you, or someone you love, is living with arthritis, you’re far from alone. Arthritis is the third most common chronic condition in Australia, according to the ABS, and reportedly affects 3.7 million of us. Arthritis is a term encompassing many different forms of conditions that affect the joints and cause inflammation, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis...