Hospitals and whether private health insurance is worth it - Health Divide Pt 2 | 7.30

In part two of our health series, we take the pulse of the most expensive element of Australia's health system - our hospitals.

Emergency patients get first class care in public hospitals but it can be a painfully long wait for elective surgery.

Then there are significant out of pocket costs, even for people who pay hundreds, if not thousands of dollars a year for private health insurance.

There's universal agreement that the best solution would be fewer people going to hospital - and that will have to mean more focus on preventive care.

Tracy Bowden reports with producer Amy Donaldson.

[JafarCalley]

Private health is a scam. I was on what I thought was a good mid tier extras plan. I needed corrective ankle surgery because of a broken ankle that didn't heal correctly, and I would have paid $2k excess. The insurance didn't cover the surgery even though I had the cover to do the regular surgery. However the doctor wanted to do a bone graft which was only covered on the top tier product. So, I dropped extras and have only basic hospital for a tax dodge, and I had the surgery done publicly for $0.00 and only had to wait 3 months. Who can afford to pay top tier extras in order to maybe have it covered by the insurance?

[PrincessAndTeddyBear]

It’s true private hospital cover is so expensive. And then you’ll have to pay a huge out of pocket if you want the treatment done right away instead of waiting for public waiting list. If you’re under 50 and don’t have a have a family history of cancer or other terminal illness, I don’t recommend hospital cover.

However, it’s worth getting the extras only if you need dental, optical, chiro, physio, remedial massages, psychology, CPAP machines and so on.

[eokii]

Medical tourism is also a thing.

Some people go to private for-profit hospitals in places like Thailand, The Philippines, Cuba and the US to get fast and quality medical treatment as opposed to being put on a waiting list.

You have to pay for the treatment yourself though and it does seem to only be marketed to the people who can actually afford it.

[churchofgod]

"A trauma service of excellence." TRUE, since I have never felt more traumatized prior to being a patient in Aussie ER.

[kendalson]

No healthcare system will ever be perfect. Largely due to the fact that we humans don't take care of our own health perfectly.

[SASlifestyleandmore]

Was always under the impression that Australia has one the best healthcare in the world as advertised. But every time we go to through healthcare system, I can say it is far from the best. In fact, I can get far better healthcare in my home country, with only a fraction of the cost. . And every experience to any doctor private / public has been nothing short of traumatic which i cannot go into all the details here but anyone who has had a fracture or an injury would know. So no thanks, i would rather buy tickets and fly back home to get treated.

[meredithcooper]

As a disability pensioner with mental health diagnosis I can’t go without private health insurance as Australia has a very deficient public psychiatric system. Even if I did get admitted to public system there is no therapy just medication and sit round all day. If I want to function this is my only choice to have insurance also seeing psychiatrist is beyond many as I don’t know of any who bulk bill! This means there is massive burden on public mental health system leaving admission only for severe psychotic patients. Since paying private insurance I have realised that if I need certain surgery like joint replacement despite having top insurance I may have to go public as out of pocket expenses in private system beyond my means make me sad and angry but the only thing I can think of to bring premiums down or stop them rising is to take off levy after age of 30yo so it will make it more affordable and attract younger people back into the private system. Not sure what I’ll do if premiums keep rising at current rate as into old age I just will not be able to do it I nearly can now.

[windwakerrules]

Every problem with the public system is just the private covers fault leeching off the system.

[SaltyMinorcan]

In the U.S., Medicare covers yearly colonoscopies. So does Medicaid (disability insurance)

[mouseisbroken]

Waiting for Liberals to tell me again that it is a lifestyle choice.

[peggysorrento]

With that money and years payment for private insurance, I will fly to China or Japan for the operation to have better skilled, more experienced doctors. They may not look or sound as nice as the doctors here but they are much alerting as they have more obligations and social expectations under the system there.

[noobgamer]

This is why the NHS is the world leading health care service here in the U.K GOD BLESS THE NHS

[tamarawest]

We need to implement universal healthcare. Full stop.

[DinarAndFriends]

She would be better off moving to a healthy diet (i.e., 100% whole-food plant-based rather than junk-food/meat-based). Then she can lose weight and stop wasting money on private medical insurance.

[jasperkent]

Government needs to look after TAXPAYERS, everyone pays tax, it's called GST

[yestotruth]

Yes & DNA upgrades are here too, soon we will be telling our doctors what our illness is & what to prescribe for it.

[circleofsorrow]

I had to move to Europe because there was no treatment available for me in Australia. I'll never forgive the clowns in power for discarding me this way.

[churchofgod]

hahaha ER best in the world? Like when you sent me home with a bilateral pulmonary embolism and could not even ultrasound because you hire no-one on a weekend? And when my daughter is in cardiac blue zone after waiting 7.5 hours for fluid replacement therapy? (Whereas in Egypt my wife was treated for a similar case in 30 minutes)? PROPAGANDA IS MAGIC!

[jdsgotninelives]

Producing an expensive multi-part analysis of all that is wrong with Neo-conservative social engineering whilst promoting Neo-conservative propaganda at the top of your news.

[seaworldsocialartslecturer]

Isn't multiculturalism just great 😆, diversity bollards, terror raids and Supermax prison's. Commenting here since ABC have decided what us Australians are allowed to comment on