A vent about health insurance

[funnyfarm]

We have basic hospital cover and top extras cover that covers just about everything. We took this out as DH was earning a high wage which threw us over the medicare levy threshold and also DD1 wears glasses so i thought it would benefit us.

My vent today is that i went to the doctor for birth control. Anyway, to cut a long story short, was given a contraceptive that is non PBS.

For 3 months worth it costs me $80.00. Now this is where my blood boils with anger. I went to my private health fund to claim back some of this as i am covered for Non PBS drugs but APPARENTLY i am not covered for this one. "its not on their list" :hair::banghead::hair::banghead:

I said to the lady behind the counter that i am not angry at her but it sux that they make it impossible for most people to claim anything under their current system. There are always hidden stipulations which rule out 90% of scenarios. She agreed and said that she feels bad when she has to tell people this as most people think all non PBS drugs are covered.

I am seriously thinking about dropping out of health insurance when the new budget comes in as they never seem to give us anything for our money.

I pay about $1200 per year and can only claim about $200 back with DD's glasses. Doesn't sound fair, does it?:no:

[sam's mum]

I have to say that it will be interesting to see what they change the thresholds to. I am not adverse to dropping out now that I have finished having children. the only biggy that we have coming up is DD1 getting her braces.

[kylza]

I hear you loud and clear. We too pay for private health insurance with hospital cover & i believe it is such a rort and yes i struggle to find things that are covered. The premiums keep going up and the benefits keep going down.

[Lollie86]

You can actually get a list of what is covered and what isnt. Not many cover contraception anymore.

[pinkprincess_84]

We have top extras cover only and that is great! and i think my pill is covered under that as well. I wouldn't be without the extras cover tho.

[Mummaholic]

yes it seems the things that are being covered are less and less...but i not be able to have babies the way i want or get the op i need without waiting without it :(

[Tam-I-Am]

I can appreciate your frustration - but I wonder if you think about car, or house and contents insurance the same way? I view insurance as a "just in case" sort of thing - not something that pays for itself (in fact, hopefully it DOESN'T pay for itself - because that would mean my house had been broken into, or burned down, or my car had been stolen or written off because of a crash, yanno?)

I view health insurance the same way - that if you don't want to wait around for public health services, or take your chances on them - that you take it out JUST IN CASE.

Insurance companies are businesses, you have to remember - if everybody made their money back on their policies, there would BE no insurance companies - because how would they pay their staff etc?

I know its frustrating when you think you're entitled to something and find out you're not - and I'm really not trying to have a go at you or make you feel bad, because honestly, I think that it sucks that your medication wasn't covered. But I just thought I'd share my opinion on insurance, its place in the world and what its limitations are :) I hope I haven't offended.

[missie_mack]

I would be annoyed too!! However it might mean you have to look at another PHF.

Ive taken quite a few non PBS drugs over the years and I've never been knocked back for claiming the only limit I know is that it has to cost me over $50 (or something close to that)

Might be worth some research and perhaps doing some walking with your feet to show your current provider your satisfaction :)

[sam's mum]

I do truly appreciate all of the things that health insurance has done for me, especially the choices that it has given me and the fact that I have had several operations where I have not had to wait, I could just go ahead and get them done.

I am just wondering where my cut off point is. there is a point where I will decide to self insure. I won't keep on paying increasing amounts without considering whether I am better self insuring and using the public system more.

[Silvana]

What I can't stand about health insurance is all of the out of pocket expenses. If you need to be admitted to hospital, you pay the excess plus any other expenses you are not covered for.

At least with home and contents or the car, you pay for the excess and that's it. Health insurance is loaded with hidden expenses. I pay $113 a month for basic hospital for family cover and really, I am only doing it for tax purposes. I used to have comprehensive cover. But I still would be out of pocket going to the doctor or OB services. It's a joke. May reconsider if the threshold for the medicare levy surcharge goes up.

[funnyfarm]

I can appreciate your frustration - but I wonder if you think about car, or house and contents insurance the same way? I view insurance as a "just in case" sort of thing - not something that pays for itself (in fact, hopefully it DOESN'T pay for itself - because that would mean my house had been broken into, or burned down, or my car had been stolen or written off because of a crash, yanno?)

I view health insurance the same way - that if you don't want to wait around for public health services, or take your chances on them - that you take it out JUST IN CASE.

Insurance companies are businesses, you have to remember - if everybody made their money back on their policies, there would BE no insurance companies - because how would they pay their staff etc?

I know its frustrating when you think you're entitled to something and find out you're not - and I'm really not trying to have a go at you or make you feel bad, because honestly, I think that it sucks that your medication wasn't covered. But I just thought I'd share my opinion on insurance, its place in the world and what its limitations are :) I hope I haven't offended.

No, you havn't offended at all. :)

I do understand what you are saying but with car and house or contents insurance you have no other option for being covered, so i don't see them as a just in case, i see them as a neccessity. With health insurance if you are not covered you still have the public system (i understand that this is not always a good option, but nevertheless an option).

If i need an operation and do not have insurance, i will still be seen to by the public system. If my house gets broken into and i don't have insurance, it's tough luck. Same as a car accident, if you write your car off and have no insurance, tough luck.

Another example why i think that the benefits of private health insurance is lacking. We are always led to believe that you will be seen to quicker with private insurance if needed.

My DD1 needs her tonsils out. I seen the ENT specialist and he put her on the waiting list (90 day waiting list, so not too long). I asked how long she would have to wait if i went private and was advised that she would still go on the same waiting list as it is in a public hospital (no private hospitals in this town, would have to travel 6 hours to a private hospital). The ladies in reception advised me that if i went private i would get - "a free paper delivered to my room daily (great for a 4 year old) and a voucher to spend at the hospital cafe". WWWHHHOOOOOOPPPPEEEE. So if i wanted to go private, i would have to pay my $500.00 excess to get all the same service as public including the ENT specialist as he is the only one in the area and my free paper and voucher. I obviously cannot see the benefit.:thumbsdown:


I better stop :ecomcity::ecomcity::ecomcity:. You can tell this issue really winds me up the wrong way.

[sam's mum]

anytime that I have needed an op there has been a huge difference between public and private.

I had a knee op when I was 17. Public was a four year wait, private was two weeks.

Lump out of my breast. two year wait public. 3 days private.

that is just two of the ops that I have had where the wait was much less. the others were all the same.

[funnyfarm]

anytime that I have needed an op there has been a huge difference between public and private.

I had a knee op when I was 17. Public was a four year wait, private was two weeks.

Lump out of my breast. two year wait public. 3 days private.

that is just two of the ops that I have had where the wait was much less. the others were all the same.

See, that's the only thing that scares me about dropping out. I have never needed anything really but my sister and mum have had several medical issues and i am worried that i might in a few years.

[Lollie86]

I dont think that some people realise how much operations actually cost. . Sure there are out of pocket expenses sometimes but operations can cost upwards of $10k and you might only pay $1200 of that with PHI.

Having a baby alone in a private hospital can cost upto $7k. A knee replacement can cost around $45k. (These are rough figures. DF works for a health insurer and gave me them at the top of his head. I can confirm tomorrow.)

I know there is always the option of going public but the waiting lists are just getting longer and longer.

My mum needed a knee operation and didnt have PHI and was told the wait was over 2 yrs. We joined her up and she had to wait 12 mths waiting period and her doc booked her in for a few days after her waiting period was up. I guess its peace of mind that your paying for really.

[sam's mum]

I didn't think that she would covered for a pre existing condition. :confused:

[Tam-I-Am]

A lot of health insurers will cover you for pre-existing conditions - but only after a 12 month waiting period. It depends a lot on the condition, and the PHI fund :)

[sam's mum]

A lot of health insurers will cover you for pre-existing conditions - but only after a 12 month waiting period. It depends a lot on the condition, and the PHI fund :)

hmm, so I could self insure for the little things, optical and dental etc, and then sign up if something happens and just wait out the 12 months?

[sweetsugardumplin']

It is very frustrating. Last year when pregnant with DD I had hyperemesis and was prescribed Zofran.

My local hospital despensed the drug for me @ $78.00 a script. I sent my receipts in to my PHI and was told they would not refund any money because the drugs were dispensed by a public hosptial. :mad:

If I had had the script filled at a pharmacy (and paid through the nose) then they would have refunded $30.00 a script - so really I would have been no better off. :hair:

I think the Government coerced people into taking out PHI, and yet,there are times when you feel that you are being ripped off.

The only reason we continue to fork out the hundreds of dollars we do is because we have children and we would not like them to have to wait years for a procedure.

ETA: My In laws put away money every week (the same amount you would pay for PHI) and save this money. A few years ago my FIL required surgey, so they paid a surgeon and he stayed in a private hospital and had the procedure................it works for them!

[Lollie86]

I didn't think that she would covered for a pre existing condition. :confused:

Theres an initial 12 mth waiting period for pre exisiting conditions when you join up. Once that is over you are covered for everything your cover covers you for.


hmm, so I could self insure for the little things, optical and dental etc, and then sign up if something happens and just wait out the 12 months?

Thats what we do. We only have hospital cover as those procedures are too expensive to self insure for but extras like optical and dental which we dont use often we just pay out of our own pockets. Although, your better to stay with the fund and not just sign up when something happens bc you might need an operation before 12 mths iykwim?

[sam's mum]

the thing that always sits in my head is the 9 months that dad spent in hospital after a motorbike accident.

I would NOT want to spend that time in a public hospital if I hd the choice.

[didlesdines]

I get that private health insurance is alot of money but I have spent many a month in a public hospital and can tell you that there are many extras there that you need to pay for like, TV and phone one stay it cost me over $200 as the only neurosurgery hospital from me was in Sydney and all calls made where STD, and the TV is just for normal not Foxtel or anything and can be up to $8 a day. They may seem like tiny things but when you are stuck in a bed they are HUGE. No for me I have to wait out my 12 months to have my shunt fixed, yeah a public hospital would do it sooner BUT I would never spend another night in one, I don't like that fact that they do not care about your needs as in privacy and dignity, and simple things like the time that staff can give you. For me the care far outweighs the costs.

[tootiredtosleep]

My relationship with our private health insurer is that I pay $120 a month and they send me a statement at tax time.

I very rarely claim anything, it is just money going down the drain, but I am very conservative and have insurance for everything else, so just keep on paying it and try not to think about it!

[KatiesMum]

Firstly - to the op about your contraception .... $80 for a 3 month supply is pretty good. PBS drugs cost $31.50 for a 1 month supply, so even if on PBS it wouldnt make any difference....and along the same lines, PHI only covers the amount over that which is why many do not cover contraception.

As for PHI - I too see it as a 'just in case' not as something to get your money back on (and I would have to pay the money anyway as we are over the medicare surcharge limit)

However - its pretty lucky for me that I do have it, as I have had a few ops in recent years that I would still be waiting for under public - and have recently been diagnosed with leukaemia so have lots of hospital stays etc with that ....

The first surgery I had (to remove a huge ovarian cyst causing me lots of pain- and causing my infertility) I waited a grand total of 4 days .... in public it would have been 2 yrs.

Anyway - it is way expensive for what you get .... but I wouldnt want to desperately need an op and be waiting for ages either.

[sunnyflower]

And this is precisely why i think private health insurance is justa total waste of time and money.If and when my child or myself get sick then i will fork out.Other then that i am a taxpayer and will just use the public system thank you very much.I have absolutely no idea why anyone would want to fork out all this money to have to pay again anyway (apart from those families with major and significant medical problems).Sorry but i just think it's a rort and as someone who has worked as a nurse in both public and private health sytems i think you receive better and more professional care in the public system anyway.JMO

[lotti]

The Governments stats are that about 300,000.00 people are going to drop their cover. So if some operations took 2 years before, what will it be now?
Oh and that stat is the LOWEST number that I have seen. :yes:

[mum_I'm_hungry]

Am I the only person getting great value out of their PHI, then? :o Over the past few years, we have had two kids, an appendix out, three sets of grommets and adenoids out, two hospital stays for pneumonia, nose surgery and braces.

It's amazing anyone wants to cover us, actually... :o

[sam's mum]

And this is precisely why i think private health insurance is justa total waste of time and money.If and when my child or myself get sick then i will fork out.Other then that i am a taxpayer and will just use the public system thank you very much.I have absolutely no idea why anyone would want to fork out all this money to have to pay again anyway (apart from those families with major and significant medical problems).Sorry but i just think it's a rort and as someone who has worked as a nurse in both public and private health sytems i think you receive better and more professional care in the public system anyway.JMO

my uncle was relying on the public system, and it nearly killed him. He was in hospital with respiratory difficulties and was complaining that it was hard to swallow and that it felt like there was a ball in his throat - the public system gave him a psych referral.

My aunt checked him out and took him to the private hospital, he was medivacced to Brisbane that afternoon and operated on that night for cancer of the larynx. Now he has one of those things that you have to put a box next to your throat to talk.

Public system, he would have been dead, private system he lived.

I will never trust the public system.

[trendy1]

And this is precisely why i think private health insurance is justa total waste of time and money.If and when my child or myself get sick then i will fork out.Other then that i am a taxpayer and will just use the public system thank you very much.I have absolutely no idea why anyone would want to fork out all this money to have to pay again anyway (apart from those families with major and significant medical problems).Sorry but i just think it's a rort and as someone who has worked as a nurse in both public and private health sytems i think you receive better and more professional care in the public system anyway.JMO

We live in the NT and the difference between public and private up here is huge. Our DD had her tonsils out last year in the private hospital and all it cost us was the anaethitist (sp) the surgeon was no gap and we have full hosptital cover with no excess. The wait was 1 month as the surgeon was away and at the same time a friends child went on the public waiting list, our daughters tonsils were removed in November last year and her son is still waiting now!!! My 1st baby was born in a public hospital and whilst I couldn't fault their care to a certain degree I had my second child private and had a great experience. I will always have our private health cover as we used IVF with our 2nd baby also and when we added up the total our health fund paid for the IVF and birth it far outweighs what we have paid in premiums for the last 7 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Chickadee]

I choose to have PHI because I believe that for my family the advantage outweigh the cost. Someone else weighs up the cost and benefits and chooses not to have it. And that's the right choice for them.

In the end it's a choice we make and there is no clear cut right or wrong choice that applies to everyone, because everyone's situation (health, financial, etc) is different. So what's to argue about?

[Lastcenturymum]

We did a lot of research into it and haven't since the kids were little. A lot of doctors we spoke to don't even both with it, as it doesn't guarantee to deliver what it promises often.

Between us we've had 3 investigative procedures, one including surgery and another hand reconstructive surgery in the public system and had no problems. One procedure took 6 months to get in for, but it wasn't an issue as there was no concern, recommended due to family history.

Also we just didn't have the money years ago to afford it (living on a tight budget and it was that or eat!!)

[Susan Mac]

we have an intermediate level of hospital and extras cover. I'm tossing up whether to uprgrade. It's an extra $60 a month for top hospital and extras. DH does need his shoulder fixed (a nagging football injury), which won't be covered under current level, but it would be a 12 month wait anyway.

I have it because it is insurance, and you never know when you might need that insurance.

We have used it. I have to have a colonoscopy every 3 years. When I had my first one last year, I rung the specialist to book in, and was in in 2 weeks. No out of pocket whatsoever. I think my FIL said it's a six month wait in the public system. Colonoscopies are so important in early detection of bowel cancer (my dad died of bowel cancer -hence my visits), so I am quite happy to go private and take a load off the public system. and because I'm under 50 I don't know how much is covered by medicare for me.

DH had his nose and sinuses operated on a few weeks ago. It was 3 month wait to get into the specialist, but then only a month or so until he had the procedure done. And when you are having intense sinus headaches lasting four hours every day, that is a bonus to not have to wait longer. We are out of pocket $215 for anaethatist and $70 excess.

Then i got new glasses this week. they cost $700 because my eyes are so bad. I got $180 back on insurance, but would have got $340 if I had top cover.

it's insurance. I hope i don't need it, but I don't know when I might.

this comes from my fund's website under 'why have cover?'



Peace of mind - CBHS Hospital Covers give you the peace of mind to know that if you are in an accident, or unexpectedly hospitalised, you will be taken care of.
Extras services - CBHS Extras Covers provide benefits towards services not covered by Medicare, like dental, prescription glasses, massage and gym membership.
Choice of doctor - Our Hospital Covers provide the option of choosing the doctor or specialist you want, giving you greater freedom and choice in your health care.
Avoid lengthy waiting lists - Choosing a Hospital Cover that gives you cover for Private Hospitals means you can get the care you need sooner by avoiding the lengthy waiting lists in the public system.
Minimise the gap - Medicare only covers a percentage of the doctor's schedule fee for private inpatient treatment. A lot of doctors and specialists will charge above this schedule fee, meaning out of pocket expenses for you. Thanks to the agreements CBHS has with many doctors, you can reduce or even remove this "gap", meaning less cost for you.
Avoid the Medicare Levy Surcharge - High income earners who do not have an appropriate level of Private Hospital cover must pay an additional 1% tax levy over and above the usual 1.5% Medicare Levy Surcharge. You can avoid this by taking any CBHS Hospital Cover.


one other thing, I did think about opening an account and putting the money aside to pay for medical expenses. But then I thought - but hang on, what if I had an accident tomorrow, where would the money come from for that?

[jackieb76]

I used to wonder if it was worth having Private Health Insurance because we seemed to pay so much for it and not get a whole lot back...other than glasses and contacts for me.

But in January this year I was very glad that we had it as I had developed gallstones and also had a bad case of pancreatitis which had me in hospital for about 5 days. I then needed my gallbladder removed (in mid Jan) and was only able to get it done quickly because we were privately insured. I could never have gone on for much longer with the pain from the gallbladder attacks (give me childbirth any day).

So not only was I able to have the surgery I needed almost immediately but when I got the statement from the health fund we were grateful for the fact that we didn't have to pay the full amount (which was close to $5,000).

I have also thought about getting rid of it now the thresholds for the surcharge have changed and putting the money into an account but like Susan Mac said what if I need the money tomorrow?

[Sammilee]

I get that private health insurance is just that... insurance... so it's there for 'just in case' and peace of mind etc. But what I don't get is the out-of-pocket expenses. Yep, totally agree to the excess that you have to pay when making a claim (just like car insurance or home insurance, you pay an excess when you make a claim), but why are there extra costs that you have to pay 'coz your PHI doesn't cover all of it? OK, I understand that there are some 'no-gap' doctors, but geez, try finding one in the specialty area that you need, and if you can find one, then try getting into that Dr. That's what I have found in the past. Very frustrating to say the least. It leaves me feeling very cheated. Why do I pay such high premiums and then still have to pay out more $$$ as my insurance doesn't cover all of it???

[Egall]

Tell me about it! I totally agree.
I have full private health insurance, but when I went to have my bubba, I found out that I would still be about $2000 out of pocket if i went private, and so ended up going public anyway! Ridiculous. I actually found the public hospital I went to really good, got my own room and was able to stay as long as I needed to - 4 nights. I'm now wondering if it's even worth keeping up the private health cover at all when it costs so much and then there are still so many 'gap' fees to cover.

[kiwibird27]

My daughter has many medical issues, including needing hearing aids and seeing 6 different specialists. Physio, OT, speech, She has had hundreds of blood tests and 79 X rays in her 2 years of life. To be honest if we had had private health insurance we would be worse off. Currently EVERYTHING is bulk billed with no out of pocket. If we were private and saw doctors in private rooms, the out of pocket would of bankrupted us.

All my pre-natal care was through the public system and I couldn't of been happier.

Many of the weird medications she is on, wouldn't of been covered by private insurance anyway, cause they aren't listed, but the hospital provides them for only $25 a drug per month.

I have to be organised, book clinics 6 months in advance, and wait a bit longer for non-essential tests, but anything that is needed urgently happens urgently.

Think the private scheme is a rip off. Only good for the childrens hospital cause they can claim $600 a night just for a bed space...more money for them which is good!!! The parents are the ones worse off!!!

[LivinOnAPrayer]

My daughter has many medical issues, including needing hearing aids and seeing 6 different specialists. Physio, OT, speech, She has had hundreds of blood tests and 79 X rays in her 2 years of life. To be honest if we had had private health insurance we would be worse off. Currently EVERYTHING is bulk billed with no out of pocket. If we were private and saw doctors in private rooms, the out of pocket would of bankrupted us.

All my pre-natal care was through the public system and I couldn't of been happier.

Many of the weird medications she is on, wouldn't of been covered by private insurance anyway, cause they aren't listed, but the hospital provides them for only $25 a drug per month.

I have to be organised, book clinics 6 months in advance, and wait a bit longer for non-essential tests, but anything that is needed urgently happens urgently.

Think the private scheme is a rip off. Only good for the childrens hospital cause they can claim $600 a night just for a bed space...more money for them which is good!!! The parents are the ones worse off!!!


Exactly how i feel too. In the same boat. We'd be broke if we went privatly.

[Izy]

Just because you have private health doesn't take away your right to access medicare funded services! You can opt to go private OR public. So the idea of 'if I was covered it would have cost alot' is slightly way-laid. If you choose to use private cover it may have gone that way- but not cause of the funds- cause of what the dr's you'd have chosen to see would have chosen to bill. Hubby had a sporting accident, we presented at A&E and if he needed treatment we were going to go public. He had to get his tonsils out- we could go on a public list and he'd have the potential to miss lots of time off work with repeated bouts of tonsilitis while waiting to get in (leave without pay, cause he only had a week of sickleave)- instead we went private and had it all done in 2 weeks, with 2 weeks off work.

I went to a private ob when I was pregnant, and good thing too, or we wouldn't have known about the partial mole, or about my risk of cancer (not to mention I DON'T LIKE THE ONLY PUBLIC OB) lol

The idea of the insurance isn't to make your money back... it's to give you choices. The option to say I'm happy with this service, or to be able to turn around and say "no- you aren't exploring the possibilities enough for my liking or you're not listening to me"- or that you simply want someone better or with a different expertise. It's also about being able to access treatment sooner in most cases. I see people constantly being bumped and made to wait in the public system cause they're condition may be debhilitating, but it's not life threatening.

If you think you can self fund... look into the cost of heart surgery and then tell me again that you can save the money. If you want to tell me that you're not going to have a heart attack- you're healthy- what happens in a car accident? What happens if you have a bad reaction to an aneasthetic on the operating table during a 'routine' procedure that you have self funded? We don't know whats going to happen with our health- thats the point of insurance.

The idea of picking up the cover when you need it? Make sure you look into lifetime health cover loading. Cause if you choose to purchase health insurance for the first time when you are over the age of 31 you need to pay 2% for each year you have delayed joining (and you thought the cost was high now- and 40% and see how you go). And if you want to do that you are part of the reason the premiums have to go up each year.... If everyone who paid $2000 into a fund then claimed $20,000 then promptly dropped cover, do you think you'd still be able to access insurance?

Probably doesn't make much sense... I'm a tad tired tonight, and I'm a little sick of explaining to people all day that the governments change to the threshold DOES NOT effect anyone who was earning under $50k as a single before, and prices WILL NOT go up untill april 09 (unless the government wants to give the funds a green light early- yeah right). None of the funds are ALLOWED to increase thier prices without government approval.

Oh- and for the contraceptives.... Usually if they are a 6b (hormones) they can receive a benefit with most funds as thier primary use is NOT contracptive. If they are another type I know that our fund will still pay, but only with a letter from the DR outlining that they are being taken for a purpose OTHER than contracption. Perhaps check if that will allow you to have a benefit paid.

Hope that helps

[detta]

Hi,

I gathered a lot of wealthy informations about health insurance. pls give some more valuable informations like this. Thank you

===============

detta

Alcohol abuse affects millions. This site has a lot of useful information.

Alcohol Abuse (http://www.alcoholabusecenter.com/)

[groovychick020]

This is a little off the health insurance topic - but sort of related. A friend of mine said that she claims her medical & health related expenses on her tax?? Does anyone know anything about this?
:wave:

[Tam-I-Am]

I've been told the same thing, groovy chick - that all medical expenses that are recognised, but not claimable through medicare (ie chiropractic, midwifery, that sort of thing), can be claimed back on tax.

[Izy]

Yep- It's called a medical tax offset. So it's all your out of pockets through the financial year for all things medical including dental!

[sam's mum]

you are able to claim a 20% OFFSET for net medical expenses over $1500.

you get a statement from your health fund, medicare and your chemist, add up all the out of pocket amounts and that is pretty much your net medical expenses.

You can include medical expenses of your dependents, including your partner regardless of his income.

this is an OFFSET not a refund.

what you can claim -


You can claim expenses relating to an illness or operation paid to legally qualified doctors, nurses or chemists and public or private hospitals. However, expenses for some cosmetic operations are excluded.

Medical expenses which qualify for the tax offset also include payments:


to dentists, orthodontists or registered dental mechanics
to opticians or optometrists, including for the cost of prescription spectacles or contact lenses
to a carer who looks after a person who is blind or permanently confined to a bed or wheelchair
for therapeutic treatment under the direction of a doctor
for medical aids prescribed by a doctor
for artificial limbs or eyes and hearing aids
for maintaining a properly trained dog for guiding or assisting people with a disability (but not for social therapy)
for laser eye surgery
for treatment under an in-vitro fertilisation program.


what you can't claim -


Expenses which do not qualify for the tax offset include payments made for:


cosmetic operations for which a Medicare benefit is not payable
dental services or treatment that are solely cosmetic
therapeutic treatment not formally referred by a doctor – a mere suggestion or recommendation by a doctor to the patient is not enough for the treatment to qualify; the patient must be referred to a particular person for specific treatment
chemist-type items – such as tablets for pain relief – purchased in retail outlets or health food stores
inoculations for overseas travel
non-prescribed vitamins or health foods
travel or accommodation expenses associated with medical treatment
contributions to a private health fund
purchases from a chemist that are not related to an illness or operation
life insurance medical examinations
ambulance charges and subscriptions, and
funeral expenses.

[Stella49]

Yeah there's actual an article about this (claiming stuff back on taxes) on the health insurance info site I use. It's in the article section on http://www.healthinsurancequotes.org so might be useful information for some on there :)

[Jenga]

Completely agree with Tam-I-Am. Insurance companies are businesses at the end of the day. I continue paying health insurance so I can choose my doctors, have choices & get into hospital quickly without having to sit on a public waiting list. I've had a few operations & it's something we will never give up.