With private health cover you’ll have access to surgery when you need it
Private health insurance gives you peace of mind, knowing that you can access timely surgery with your choice of doctor and avoid long public hospital wait lists.
Private health insurance helps you avoid long public hospital wait lists
Having private cover means:
As a result of the COVID-19 elective surgery shutdown and treatment postponement, public hospitals across Australia are facing a backlog of surgery.
Wait lists have blown out up to 1.5 years in the public system for some common procedures, such as:
In the public system, you could wait:
- 200+ days median wait time for a total knee replacement (AIHW)
- 300+ days average wait time for non-urgent elective surgery in NSW (Bureau of Health Information Report)
- 66,000+ Victorians are on a wait list for elective surgery as of 30 September 2020 (Victorian Agency for Health Information)
- 8+ months on average longer wait in the public system to see a specialist in Western Australia (HBF, 2018)
This compares to people who have private health insurance, where members can access surgery and treatment within weeks.
Having private health insurance also allows you to choose your doctor and have continuity of care with the same fully-trained specialist.
What does this mean for you?
This means if you need a joint replacement, cataract surgery or surgery for endometriosis – you may not be treated in the public system for up two years or even longer.
With private health insurance, you can access timely care at a time that suits you. In many cases, you can choose your doctor and are guaranteed continuity of care with your specialist of choice. Avoiding long public hospital wait lists, you’ll get back to your life, work and family sooner.
The private system also funds surgeries and other treatments that are not readily available in the public system, including:
Peace of mind
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that our health and access to quality care is more important than ever. It’s important to keep you and your family covered in these uncertain times.
If you have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and are concerned about paying for your private health insurance, contact your private health fund for the options available to you.