Consumer super powers

If you’ve found a better deal, let your fund know, writes Sophie Elsworth

IT’S inevitable that shopping around for private health insurance will leave you with a sore head, as you try to understand all the inclusions and exclusions on your policy.

A couple of years ago I decided to jump insurers and increase my level of cover, which I must admit, was quite a painful process.

Trying to compare apples with apples and deciphering which policy would actually leave me with the best cover and financially better off was almost impossible.

So this year after seeing out 12 months with my latest insurer I decided to shop around again and see if I could save some money.

I got offered a better deal with a rival insurer — or at least I think I did — so this gave me bargaining power with my existing insurer.

When I phoned them to explain that I was leaving to go to their major rival, suddenly they couldn’t do enough for me.

Within a short phone call they offered me multiple discounts on my cover and even threw in extras cover at no additional cost. This was only because I said I was ditching extras because it wasn’t worth the cost.

The power of the words “I’m leaving” can work absolute wonders and in most cases the provider will scramble to get you to stay.

It’s important to give them an example of a deal that’s cheaper than what they are offering you — this usually results in them having to match that price or offer you something even better.

I also paid my full year’s cover before the April 1 price hikes kicked in, which meant I skipped being slugged by the hefty rises this year round.

By simply getting itchy feet and making a couple of phone calls, I’ve made what I think is savings of a few hundreds dollars.

Worth the time and effort, I say.