Private health cover vs public system

[BlueBay]

I was just wondering if a lot of people on here have private health insurance.

I have had private health insurance for the past 30 years and although it has been a huge amount of money to pay it had its benefits.  For eg. private specialist and private hosptial to have my children.  I still now have extras for psych at hospital, chiro, physio, etc.

I pay $220 a fortnight which is taking a big chunk out of my little wage.  Doesn't leave me with much.

I don't know what to do anymore.  Do i stay with private cover? Is it still worth staying with them? Or do i just go with the public health system?

Just wanted to hear from others and your thoughts 

BB 

[Queenie]

Hi @BlueBay, I consider for my own care, private health insurance a necessity. I've been bounced backwards and forwards through the public mental health sector and they've chewed me up and spat me out time and time again. At least with private health insurance, I can see the same private psychiatrist I see in the community should the need arise where I am hospitalised. I pay $110 per fortnight for a single person with extras. I have nil excess on that too, so should I need to be hospitalised urgently, I do not have to come up with a $500 excess straight away, which is a good thing as money is tight on Centrelink. 

Personally, I found the private system better as they aren't just putting a band-aid on a broken leg approach in which the cash-strapped public system is. Having said that however, I find treatment in the public sector is good in some regards. They are much better equipped for the acute stages on my illness, whereas the private sector is not always (there aren't a lot of private facilities with high dependency units which I sometimes have been admitted to). 

I guess there are pros and cons for both systems. I'm not giving up my insurance however.

[BlueBay]

Hi @Queenie

Yeah I know I will keep my private health fund as well.  I just think at times it's so expensive each fortnight to come up with such a huge amount.

But you're right at least with private cover you can have the same psych and be admitted straight away to a private hospital.  I have a $250 excess once a year fee.  i could pay less a fortnight but my excess would increase to $500 that is too much to come up with at once.

Thanks for your reply, i was just interersted in others opinions.

BB.

[Determined]

@BlueBay

We maintain private health cover for my wife and would not be without it. We tried accessing the public system in a time of crisis for admission into a mental health ward, before we had private health cover, and the experience was quite traumatic for my darling, we were  sent away with my darling being told she was making it all up and basically to wake up to herself. I took out private cover shortly after so she could go into a private hospital.  I don't know how we would have got through the last 12 months with my darling having 6 admissions and over 4 months in a private ward. 

Without my darlings need for mental health support I personally would probably just put money aside each month for unexpected expenses as part of our budgeting. But that is for our situation. That's what we used to do but could not afford lengthy admissions in a private mh ward without the private cover. 

[BlueBay]

Hi @Determined

I hope your wife is better now.  I feel for you having yoiur wife in hospital for 4 months. That must have been tough.  Thank god for private health funds.

BB

[Determined]

@BlueBay

Yes it was tough, the 4 months was across 6 admissions, don't know what I would have done if it was all in one admission. Thankfully we had a lot of support from parents and children's school / my university. 

She is doing much better now but still far from well. 

[BlueBay]

Hi @Determined

I can't imagine how tough it would have been.  I was in hospital 4 times last year and one time stayed for a month.  It was hard on my husband and 3 adult children.  But they knew it was for my health and wellbeing that I stay that whole month.  

I hope things improve for your wife and you and your family.

BB

[Determined]

We have a $500 excess once a calendar (per adult), I elected for the higher excess for lower premium, usually we would be in front except we had an admission December 2016 then another in January 2017, had to pay 500 for each which hurt. Still that was unexpected so worth the risk. We didn't have to pay for any of the subsequent admissions. 

[Determined]

@BlueBay our children are 2, 10 & 12, older boys found it very hard, I had a few calls from school due to reactive behaviour,  all but 1 staff member at school were very accommodating once they knew what was going on. 

My darlings shortest stay was 6 days, discharged far too soon as I had her re-admitted 5 days later on a Sunday evening. Her longest stay was 4 1/2 or 5 weeks weeks, for all but the last admission I was making the 200km round trip every day so she could see bub so older boys were missing both of us as I was getting home at bed time. Darling needed to see bub as she was worried he would forget her due to his age but I do regret the older boys missing out on so much. 

Things are looking much better at the moment, have some extra supports in place now, biggest being bub starting kindy in May, so hoping this makes a difference for her.

I hope things continue to improve for you also and your family. It sounds like your husband and children are supportive, I hope that is the case. 

[utopia]

@BlueBay. I don't have private health insurance. Don't have the money and because I've already had multiple psych admissions - I don't think they would insure me.
I used to work in the public mental health system. And I'd recommend anyone who can to get private coverage.
As @Queenie says - during an acute trauma - the public system can be good. But nothing I have gone through would qualify me for a stay. I'm not sick enough for the public system.
My sister, on suiciding (she died but the ambulance staff brought her back to life). She was taken to the nearest public psych ward. My mum rang me to say the hospital wasn't going to admit my sister because she wasn't sick enough. She just killed herself!
But I knew the law. They have a legal duty of care to admit her. Can't remember if it was 24 or 48 hours minimum. But I got her admitted.
I've had 5 hospital stays (private psych hospitals). 4 were for strong suicidal ideation. The public system wouldn't give me a bed just for having thoughts or by planning to act on my plan. There are not enough beds. There are not enough staff. There is not enough money.
So do what you can to keep affording your private coverage. At least that way you will get a hospital bed when you need it.
Thank God I'm covered by WorkCover