In my current job I am increasingly seeing the advantages of having top private health insurance. I have visited a lot of hospitals, both public and private along with a lot of Nursing Homes and Hostels. It is not very hard to tell anymore which places are public and which are private
You pick up a vibe from the people around, the patients, the nurses and their environment.
Firstly the patients, they almost expect to have to wait all day in a public hospital, they are resigned to the fact. If they are in for elective surgery they have more than likely had to wait for years. Whereas Private patients go straight into surgery when they are ready and then most are taken to a Rehab clinic afterwards. Don’t expect that sort of care and efficiency in the public system.
I have experienced this sort of efficiency personally, which is why I’m such a big Private health advocate. I needed elective surgery on my right ring finger as the joint was infected when I was a baby and grew bent. When the doctor said it was time to operate mum jokingly said, “How about tomorrow?” To which the doctor replied that it could be done if the paperwork could be put through that fast. Instead I went in the next week at The Hills.
Secondly the nurses, some appear very cynical and downtrodden in both systems but generally I found that the nurses at Private Hospitals are much happier with their work. Some of this I think can be attributed to my third point, the environment. Private hospitals have a warmer feel to them, which lends itself to a more comfortable and friendly atmosphere. Little things like wide corridors which are uncluttered, lighting, carpet on the floors, private rooms and most importantly bigger TV’s (some private hospitals even have Foxtel).
I know of some naïve young adults say, “But I’m healthy, when will I need to go to hospital?” But isn’t that the point of all insurance, that you don’t know when something will happen. We don’t know when we will get sick. We don’t know when something we own will be stolen. We don’t know when that car will drive up your rear end. We don’t know so we need to prepare for anything.
Those that expect to rely on the public system for everything I say,
What do you expect for nothing?!
You pick up a vibe from the people around, the patients, the nurses and their environment.
Firstly the patients, they almost expect to have to wait all day in a public hospital, they are resigned to the fact. If they are in for elective surgery they have more than likely had to wait for years. Whereas Private patients go straight into surgery when they are ready and then most are taken to a Rehab clinic afterwards. Don’t expect that sort of care and efficiency in the public system.
I have experienced this sort of efficiency personally, which is why I’m such a big Private health advocate. I needed elective surgery on my right ring finger as the joint was infected when I was a baby and grew bent. When the doctor said it was time to operate mum jokingly said, “How about tomorrow?” To which the doctor replied that it could be done if the paperwork could be put through that fast. Instead I went in the next week at The Hills.
Secondly the nurses, some appear very cynical and downtrodden in both systems but generally I found that the nurses at Private Hospitals are much happier with their work. Some of this I think can be attributed to my third point, the environment. Private hospitals have a warmer feel to them, which lends itself to a more comfortable and friendly atmosphere. Little things like wide corridors which are uncluttered, lighting, carpet on the floors, private rooms and most importantly bigger TV’s (some private hospitals even have Foxtel).
I know of some naïve young adults say, “But I’m healthy, when will I need to go to hospital?” But isn’t that the point of all insurance, that you don’t know when something will happen. We don’t know when we will get sick. We don’t know when something we own will be stolen. We don’t know when that car will drive up your rear end. We don’t know so we need to prepare for anything.
Those that expect to rely on the public system for everything I say,
What do you expect for nothing?!
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4 comments:
I don't know if you can call 2.5% of your gross salary nothing...
Hey Tim!
I haven't left a message for a while but I read this and thought about my most recent trip to the hospital. I had my appendix taken out in a semi-emergency manner. The private doctor was actually out playing golf or something so couldn't come in straight away but a public doctor could look after me straight away. And I have a cool scar. I must contend decrying the public system in general too. Shouldn't we expect that the country we support and love will support and love us in return? Why bother paying taxes if, in the end, we have to pay for private support as well?
-Kate
If you want to use the private system, sure, go for it. However, you will be better off financially if you use the money you were going to pay for insurance (the $80 a month or whatever) into a online savings account and 'self-insure'.
That way you can pay for the procedure if you need it, and until then your money keeps growing.
So long as you don't touch the money for other reasons, or you get terribly sick in the first few months or so, the advantages are huge.
If you do get sick early, the public system is there as a fallback.
For more info, check out this guide from the ABC.
Dan - a very viable and valid option!
Kate - sounds very idealistic, "Shouldn't we expect that the country we support and love will support and love us in return?"
Dave and Kate - I will post something soon about what I think about the Medicare levy and what we should expect from this payment.
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