What is Gold Hospital Cover?

In 2020 the Government introduced reforms to make understanding private health insurance simpler and assist consumers to choose the right hospital cover best suited to their requirements.  Private health funds were required to change their hospital classifications to Gold, Silver, Bronze or Basic.

Gold hospital cover gives you the confidence that your health needs are supported and protected whatever stage of life you’re at. Some examples of treatments you may need to undergo are:

  • cataract surgery
  • joint replacements
  • spinal fusions
  • dialysis for chronic kidney disease
  • weight loss surgery
  • chronic illness
  • or simply planning to start a family

Have you heard of Gold cover? It’s one of the four types of private health insurance that offers the highest level of care and covers a broad range of treatments. Although it may come at a higher cost than Basic, Bronze, or Silver policies, it could potentially save you money in the long term.

So, what does Gold tier insurance actually cover? Well, it covers all medically necessary in-hospital treatments and procedures, including rehabilitation, psychiatric services, and palliative care, as well as treatments covered under Silver and Bronze policies. In addition to this, it also provides access to clinical treatments like the ones mentioned above.

But that’s not all! Gold tier insurance also covers private health insurance general treatment or extras cover services such as dental treatment, ambulance services, chiropractic treatment, home nursing, podiatry, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, glasses, and contact lenses as long as you have a extras package combined with your hospital cover.

Who is the Gold tier cover best suited for? Individuals with chronic or ongoing health issues, women planning on getting pregnant and wanting to give birth as a private patient in a private hospital, patients with cancer or heart issues, individuals needing dialysis for chronic kidney disease or access to insulin pumps, active people prone to injury, and older persons requiring joint replacements, hearing implants, or cataract treatment can all benefit from Gold tier cover.

Find the best gold tier health coverage today by visiting  https://health.compare/ or speak to one of our friendly team members call 1300 861 413 /  email hello@health.compare

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Finished having children – What should I do with my Private Health?

Once you’ve made the decision to not have any more children, you may be wondering what to do next with your private health cover.  It’s important you revisit your health cover and make the necessary updates to take pregnancy cover off the policy, so you are no longer paying for it. Pregnancy cover comes with a higher premium on most private health policies so it’s crucial that once you have your last baby this is updated.

Firstly, let’s start with what private health pregnancy cover actually is. Pregnancy cover is clinical category that can be added to private health insurance policies. It covers the costs associated with giving birth in a private hospital, such as obstetrics and anaesthetist fees, hospital accommodation, and other medical expenses to the Medicare scheduled fee.

Steps to take after the birth of your last child

Once your baby is born, make sure you contact your private health fund with the baby’s name and DOB to be added onto your policy. This is especially important if the baby needs to be admitted to neonatal care a few days after the birth due to complications. Remember when you go home, your private health fund will also be available to help you transition to your new adjusted life by offering various benefits and services such as postnatal classes or remedial massage, as long as they are covered by your extras policy.

Adding your newborn to your health policy

It’s a fairly simple process. Once your baby comes along, simply contact your health fund and add your baby’s name to your private health policy. Your baby should be added to the policy as quickly as possible post birth to have the same health cover entitlements as the longest serving parent.

If you’re planning on having more children but not in the near future

It may also be worth considering removing pregnancy cover for now, if you’re not planning on further expanding your family. Pregnancy cover has a waiting period, so you wouldn’t be able to claim for pregnancy-related expenses until that waiting period is served. It may be more cost-effective to downgrade the cover for now and add it back on when you’re closer to planning to start a family again.

Ultimately, the decision to downgrade your pregnancy cover on your private health policy depends on your individual circumstances. Before making any changes to your health insurance policy, it is important to speak with your health fund to discuss your options and the potential impact on your coverage. If you do decide to drop pregnancy cover from your policy, be aware of the waiting periods involved if you want to renew the policy. Most insurers require a waiting period of 12 months before you can access any further pregnancy-related benefits. This means that if you decide to conceive after dropping pregnancy coverage, you will need to wait at least a year before your coverage kicks in.

Find the best private health coverage today by visiting  https://health.compare/ or speak to one of our friendly team members call 1300 861 413 /  email hello@health.compare

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