Not much value for private premiums

Teacher and mother of two Andi Carlisle is the only member of her family to have hospital cover.

The 36 year old took out a Basic hospital policy with Teacher’s Health to avoid a tax penalty when she was planning a family but has never used it, even when she had her children.

“I was talking to friends and they said even with private health insurance, it still cost them close to $10,000 to have a baby at a private hospital. That’s outside of our budget,” she said.

“If you’re paying private in my opinion, everything should be paid (covered). I personally find it really frustrating that you have health companies making such huge profits.”

The Melbourne mum also has extras cover with Medibank which she does consider value for money

“My extras I can use. I was a competitive powerlifter so I always used to go to the osteo and the dentist,” she said.

Her family has ambulance cover privately through the Victorian ambulance service rather than through the health insurance companies.

“There’s really good public hospitals nearby that do take care of you in a quick turnaround if there’s an emergency,” she said.

A public hospital treated her daughter Selena’s hip dysplasia, Ms Carlisle said.

Her husband Marquis, a personal trainer who does not have health insurance to avoid tax, needs a hernia operation that will cost around $8000 in the private system. The wait list in the public system for the operation is years long, she said.

“If he could have had insurance, that’d be great. He’s a lot more accident prone than me,” she said.