As the health insurance market in Australian varies between state and premiums are loosely based on the residents’ needs, demographics and health profile, you might benefit more when choosing a policy specific to your region.
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Compare and Review Health Insurance in Queensland
QLD offers locals a large network of health facilities, including 276 hospitals. The health insurance companies operating in your region gives you the option to choose between Hospital, Extras and Combined Hospital and Extras cover.
Hospital Cover pays for hospital-related procedures performed in a public or private hospital, while Extras cover generally pays for health needs that Medicare does not cover, for example, most dentistry, optical and weight loss programs.
Costs associated with private health insurance in QLD
Recently, health insurance premiums throughout Australia has risen close to 5%. As a family living in Queensland, you can expect to pay an average of $6,378.54 annually for Hospital & Extras Health Insurance Cover.
Instead of being discouraged by the rising costs, this might be the ideal time for you to review your current policy and see what else is available. If you do not yet have health insurance, you might want to start considering your options.
Exclusions and waiting periods
Exclusions and waiting periods form an integral part of every health insurance policy. Their function is to prevent people from merely upgrading or purchasing a policy to get hospital insurance for an immediate health concern and then cancelling once the treatment has been completed. This will result in higher premiums for everyone.
How do exclusions work?
Having an exclusion means you will not be covered for treatment as a private patient in a public or private hospital for the conditions mentioned in the terms and conditions of your policy.
For example, if your policy excludes cardiac services and you need coronary artery bypass surgery, your policy will not pay anything towards your hospital and medical costs. Exclusions vary from insurer to insurer, so be sure you carefully read through your policy disclosure statement.
Waiting periods explained
Waiting periods refer to the length of time you need to wait before you can claim for services. These periods differ between policies, so you need to familiarise yourself with the terms and conditions of your policy to determine how it will affect you.
Take note; a waiting period might not apply if you transfer from one health insurer to another of similar value.
The maximum waiting period that can be imposed are set out by the government. Below is a general list of waiting periods adopted by most health funds.
Queensland health insurance levies and rebates
What are levies and how do they work?
A levy is a fee you are required to pay to a governing body when you’re single and earn $90,000 or more and $180,000 or above for couples and families. You are required to pay a levy of 1 – 1.5% of your annual income to the Australian government. This is known as the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS) and applies to you if you do not have private health insurance.
Your MLS rate is dependant on your income and age, but can be avoided when purchasing private health insurance as this alleviates demand on the public health care system.
What is a private health insurance rebate and how can I claim?
A private health insurance rebate is the amount the Australian government contributes toward the cost of your health insurance premiums. It is introduced as a financial incentive to help Australians more easily afford private health cover.
The amount you are entitled to receive depends on three things: 1. your private health policy, 2. your income and 3. the age of the oldest person on your policy.
There are 2 ways you can go about claiming your rebate:
- As ongoing reduction of your premiums.
- Paying less on your annual tax.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Are ambulance services covered in Queensland?
Yes, ambulance services, including emergency pre-hospital treatment and transport fees are covered for all permanent resident in Queensland. You receive ambulance coverage anywhere in Australia and if you are sent an invoice for these services, simply forward it to the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) for payment.
Are there free dental services available in QLD?
Yes, there are free dental services available in Queensland. However, to qualify for publicly funded dental care, you need to be in possession of one of the below cards:
- Pensioner Concession Card issued by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs
- Pension Concession Card issued by Centrelink
- Health Care Card
- Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
- Queensland Seniors Card