THE HEALTH WEALTH EQUATION

Do you actually need health insurance or is it just another expense?

At a time when many Aussie households are under nancial pressure, you might be looking at your health insurance policy and wondering whether it’s an expense you can do without.

e aim of health insurance is to give you the ability to choose your own doctor and skip public hospital waiting lists for elective surgeries (eg, knee replacements). But if you don’t have health insurance, public hospitals will still look after you. So, is it a necessary expense for you?

Whether you’ll get good value from a health policy depends on a number of factors including your income, household situation and whether you’re likely to need the hospital system in the next few years, says Professor Luke Connelly, professor of health economics at the University of Queensland. Here are some factors to consider…

YOUR INCOME

Health insurance is a good idea if you pay the Medicare levy surcharge (MLS) in your taxes. is surcharge applies to individuals earning more than $90,000 or households with combined income of more than $180,000.

“If you can nd an eligible policy that costs you less than the surcharge you’d have to pay if you didn’t buy the insurance policy, you’ll be better o

nancially,” says Prof Connelly.

YOUR HOUSEHOLD

If you are young and healthy, health insurance may not provide you with as much value, says Prof Connelly. If you can a ord it, you may choose to cover any health costs that arise out of your own pocket instead.

“e way private health insurance is regulated e ectively means that young and healthy people pay more than one dollar of premiums for every dollar they can expect to get back,” he explains. Meanwhile, “older people pay less than one dollar for every dollar they can expect to get back in insurance bene ts.”

Borghild Ernulf is one of many people who have found it di cult to get the right balance between a naturally energetic lifestyle and restorative deep sleep, often seen as the alpha and omega for a healthy mind and body.

PROPER REST WAS HARD TO FIND

For many years, Borghild Ernulf was an independent trader in Sweden, known for her boundless enthusiasm and energy.

When she retired, she and her husband decided to move to Collioure in the south of France, where she still keeps a very busy diary.

ere, rather than dealing with business challenges, she uses her time to play golf and bridge and has taken up painting. Borghild comments: “Despite the fact that when we moved to France, I no longer had to focus on business related issues, I was still nding it di cult to relax properly, which was a ecting the quality of my sleep. l’d have lots of things racing around in my head, preventing me from nding that elusive restful sleep.”

THEN SHE TRIED MELISSA DREAM™

About a year ago, Borghild told a good friend from Sweden about her problems with sleep. She explains:

“at morning, I was more tired than usual after an almost sleepless night. Over lunch, we discussed the importance of good sleep for general wellbeing. My friend recommended that I try the natural food supplement Melissa Dream™, which he takes himself. He gave me some of his own Melissa Dream™ tablets, and after just a few days, I started to feel a positive e ect.”

e lemon balm within Melissa Dream™ helps to maintain healthy sleep and contributes to a good and calm rest. So Borghild added these tablets to her nightly routine. “After I have taken it, I put my book on the bedside table and fall fast asleep straight away. en I sleep, totally relaxed throughout the night, waking up feeling fresh and rested. I did not think that was possible

– I tried several similar products over the years to

nd a solution which works for me, but it’s only now that I can really relax and sleep tight, waking up restored and ready for what the day might bring’’, says a happy Borghild.