Private Health Insurance in Australia - Do You Need It?
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Posted On :
Nov-30-2011
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Article Word Count :
520
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Life goes by so fast, and is filled with so many worries. You can be good and completely healthy one day, only to find out the very next day that we aren't. This is a guide to private health insurance in Australia.
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Australia is home to one of the world's most extensive universal healthcare systems. The public system is called Medicare and provides all citizens access to medical treatment. It also provides subsidised out of hospital treatment. This is made possible by a 1.5% tax levy on taxpayers whose incomes are above the threshold amount. An extra 1% levy is imposed on high-income earners without private health insurance. Even though the public healthcare system is a cut above the rest of the world, some would prefer to get private health insurance in Australia.
What exactly is private health insurance?
Insurance can be a challenging and complicated business. For those that don't know much, private insurance may cover all or some of the fees of healthcare for private patients. Two of the most common kinds of coverage are hospital cover and general treatment cover. General treatment cover is usually often known as ancillary cover.
Hospital insurance covers your basic medical or hospital concerns. This will likely be your doctors' fees, as well as hospital confinement fees. This is applicable whether you choose to get treated in a public or private hospital. Of course, because you are seeking treatment or service using your private insurance, you will be treated as a private patient.
General treatment or ancillary cover offers coverage for the health services that are more ordinary than most. For example, dental and eye care. Most companies cover your general dental care needs. This includes cleaning, root canals, as well as other regular procedures. Some providers have limited coverage for cosmetic dentistry procedures such as orthodontics or denture implants.
It's worth noting that services furnished in the ancillary cover option aren't provided by public Medicare. In case you are still sceptical regarding your options for health insurance in Australia, comparisons are widely available online.
How can I benefit from it?
Private coverage offers you a variety of benefits. First off, it will allow you to get treatment from the hospital of your choice, whether or not it's a public or private hospital. Second, when you are going in as a private patient, you are able to select which specialist you'll get service from. And as discussed earlier, private insurance covers general treatment services not included in Medicare. Together with dental and eye care, you might also get coverage for ambulance, podiatry, and physiotherapy treatments. The range of services varies depending on provider.
Do I need it?
It's a given that acquiring health insurance is a wise choice. However, not everybody is able to afford the often high premiums of private health insurance in Australia. This is why getting it is a personal choice. If you decide not to get it because you can't afford it or for any other reason, it's totally fine because as an Australian citizen, you're entitled to Medicare. If you are unsure about your health insurance in Australia, comparisons between private options and Medicare can be better explained by providers or professionals. It's better to talk to them to answer whatever concerns you could have.
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Article Source :
http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Private Health Insurance in Australia - Do You Need It?_112446.aspx
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Author Resource :
Teresa Ellis is an experienced insurance agent knowledgeable on the services of private health insurance australia. To learn more about, how these may benefit you and your family, please have a look at health insurance australia comparison
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Keywords :
private health insurance Australia, health insurance Australia comparison,
Category :
Finance
:
Insurance
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