Great Value Health Insurance

When you join Health Partners without current health cover, you will have to wait a certain period of time before being eligible for health fund benefits. This is called a waiting period.

If you have health cover already, but are transferring to a higher level of cover, waiting periods may apply for all additional benefits.

For full details see Waiting Periods.

If the procedure or service you require is included in your cover:

Hospital cover will pay for:

• your accommodation in hospital (including registered day facilities);
• your theatre, labour ward and intensive care fees;
• all PBS prescriptions relating to your admission, while you’re in hospital; and
• an extensive range of Government-recognised surgically implanted prostheses.

Select covers also provide access to a range of wellness services and support programs.

Hospital cover will pay towards:

• inpatient medical fees (click here for more information on how to reduce your medical expenses); and
• a range of additional services depending on your level of cover.

Health Partners will also cover other allied health services provided during your admission, such as dental, physiotherapy and dietary in line with our agreement with the hospital and your level of Extras cover.

Extras cover provides benefits for a wide range of services that are not covered by Medicare. The most popular services include Optical, Dental, Physiotherapy, Chiropractic, Dietary and Podiatry. The actual services covered and benefits paid will depend on your particular level of cover.

Ambulance cover is available on ALL Health Partners’ policies. There are two types of cover: Non-Emergency Ambulance and Emergency Ambulance.

Non-Emergency Ambulance

If Non-Emergency Ambulance is included in your cover, you will be covered in full if you call an ambulance – regardless of whether the service is classed as emergency or not.

• Cover for the full cost of the ambulance service up to a maximum of $20,000.
• Cover for service deemed by the ambulance provider as ‘emergency’ and ‘non-emergency’.
• Australia-wide coverage by road or air.
• Service required on medical grounds (this excludes clinic-car type transport).

Emergency Ambulance

If Emergency Ambulance is included in your cover, you will be covered in full for ambulance services that are deemed or classed as ‘emergency’ only.

• Cover for the full cost of an emergency ambulance call-out up to a maximum of $20,000.
• Australia-wide coverage by road or air, for emergency service required on medical grounds.

To find out what level of Ambulance cover you have, and what the limits are, refer to your individual cover details.

The government offers a rebate to help Australians afford private health insurance. The rebate amount depends on your age, income, and whether you have singles or family coverage. It can be claimed as a premium reduction or through your tax return.

Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) is a government initiative that encourages people to take out hospital cover earlier in life. If you don't have hospital cover by June 30 following your 31st birthday, you may pay a 2% loading on top of your premium for every year you're aged over 30.

Yes, private health insurance allows you to choose your own doctor or specialist for in-hospital treatment. You can also often choose the hospital you prefer, as long as it has an agreement with your health fund. From more information speak with our health insurance specialists.

You can change your level of cover or switch health funds at any time. However, if you upgrade your cover, you may need to serve waiting periods for the new, higher benefits depending on the level of cover. Most funds will recognise waiting periods you've already served when switching for equivalent levels of cover. If you have any questions prior to switching, contact us at 1300 113 113.

The Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS) is an additional tax (1% to 1.5%) on top of the standard 2% Medicare Levy, imposed on high-income earners who don't have private hospital cover. To avoid the MLS, you need to have an appropriate level of private hospital cover. The income thresholds for the MLS are adjusted annually, so check the current figures on the Australian Taxation Office website.

A gap payment is the difference between what your doctor charges and what Medicare and your private health insurance cover. Always check with your doctor and Health Partners before your treatment to understand potential gap payments.