GMHBA changes hit families, says mum

NOT- FOR- PROFIT health insurer GMHBA has been accused of penalising families through a series of plan changes that come into effect on January 1.

Some health fund members were recently notified of changes that mean plans will have per-membership claim limits.

Previously some GMHBA family plans have provided a certain amount of cover per family member.

Under the changes, members of the GMHBA Silver Plus Premium Family Package will face limits of $1200 in preventive dental benefits, $800 in chiropractic benefits and $1200 for physiotherapy. The new benefit limits will be for the whole family.

Customers were notified of the changes on November 27.

Member Amanda RyanMcDonald slammed the changes, telling the Geelong Advertiser she believed her family would lose thousands of dollars in benefits when the change was implemented.

“It’s a big enough impact for us and I can’t imagine the impact it will have on someone who has three kids on the policy,” Ms Ryan-McDonald said.

She said another “big hit” arising from the changes was dental cover, which would be slashed from $3000 for her family to $1200.

“The insurance is significantly reduced. We have one child but we worked out that we are going to lose about $2500 to $3000 claimable benefits for our daughter,” Ms Ryan-McDonald said.

In a statement, the company’s general manager for private health insurance Tony Hall said GMHBA regularly reviewed its products to help keep premiums affordable and ensure it offered value for members.

He said in the 2019 financial year, GMHBA paid $601 million in benefits, a $39 million increase on the previous financial year.

“As a result of increases in benefits paid due to rising healthcare and medical costs, sometimes we need to make difficult decisions to make changes to our products,” he said

Mr Hall said per membership annual limits already applied on some GMHBA policies and across the health insurance industry.

“This particular change impacts a small percentage of our membership base,” he said.

Ms Ryan-McDonald said she believed the changes would turn the family policy into a couples policy and said she was considering moving to a different fund.

“In the annual report, the chairman talks about looking after the members,” she said.

“This is absolutely slashing that cover for families.”