Switching PHI companies

[Love is all you need]

Hi Everyone,

Just wondering if anyone knows if you can switch PHI providers during the waiting period?

Our waiting period is up on Oct 16th so if we switch funds now are we going to have to go through another waiting period or will they take into account the waiting period we have already served.

We would be switching from MBF to Medibank private if that makes any difference?

[Pinkzy]

Have you considered switching to a small health fund like Westfund? I only ask because when I had PHI (up until a few months ago), I changed from Medibank Private to Westfund and Westfund gave me the same amount of cover and extras for a significantly lower price per month.

[Love is all you need]

Pinkzy I haven't actually heard of them will google them now, that's great that they have the same level of extras as Medibank!

Thank you :D

[Pinkzy]

No worries :) Give them a call and find out what cover would be right for you - it's not a machine that answers either, someone actually answers right away :laughing: which is always a bonus.

[Love is all you need]

Pinkzy thank you so much :hugs: have just had a look at the website and they have both the hospital and OB on their list that I would like to do in my next pregnancy, and they seem a lot cheaper than MBF who we are currently with.

Now to discuss with DH tonight and then hopefully phone them tomorrow to see how we can transfer and not have to serve a new waiting policy. :laughing: love the fact I will get to speak to a person and not a million voice messages asking me to key in numbers lol!

[Pinkzy]

No worries hun :) They really are the most friendly, helpful private health fund I've ever come across.

[moomechanic]

Most will only match waiting periods you have already completed :)

[Love is all you need]

Hi :wave:,

Thought I'd update we looked at Westfund with DH but he wants to stay with MBF as basically Westfund (looking at their extras) only pays $60 annual rebate for psychology sessions where as MBF is $300 and with my anxiety currently the rebate is coming in very handy cause it means we aren't out of pocket (due to Mental Health Plan) after weighing up the out of pocket expense with the hospital it'd still be better to stick with MBF (as medibank don't let you have your previous waiting period [if still serving]).

Maybe after we have bubs #2 we will look at Westfund again as it really is cheaper and hopefully I will have a handle of my anxiety.

Once again thank you Pinkzy :hugs: and moomechanic :hugs:

[moomechanic]

It's so hard isn't it trying to weigh up all the pros and cons and what benefits you need more than others :s

[Love is all you need]

Oh it is my mind is going around in circles lol plus trying to figure out everything about obs / payment etc my brain is spinning! Although hopefully if I get all this research out the way today it will be less confusing when we finally get our :bfp:

[moomechanic]

Yep one less thing to worry about :)

[Windupbird]

Loveisallyouneed - Sorry if you know this, but do you use your phi rebate for psychology on top of the 12-18 psychology visits per year which Medicare pays for? I've reached the safety net so Medicare pays for $172 of my $180 psychologist appointments.

I didn't know this was available a few years ago and paid a huge sum to see a counsellor a few times who wasn't in the system. I think just about any psychologist referred by your GP or a psychiatrist would be under Medicare. Sorry if this isn't your case - just didn't want someone else to make the same expensive mistake I did.

[Love is all you need]

Thanks for that WindUpBird - yeah I am lucky that I can use my PHI for my psych on top of medicare which is good so thankfully at the moment we are not out of pocket.

So basically I get the medicare rebate and then the gap gets covered by my PHI which is always handy.

[Windupbird]

Love - I just got so excited from your post thinking I could claim the gap with my phi (Medibank Private). But, if you want another reason not to switch to Medibank Priv, I just called and they said they won't pay anything toward a psychology claim that Medicare has covered (i.e. won't pay the out of pocket difference). So, I have $500 in extras cover, but basically can't use it.

[Love is all you need]

Oh no Windupbird that's not good and yeah another reason to stick with MBF, thankfully when I claimed they asked if I got a discount - which I said the medicare rebate, and they said cool we'll cover the difference which was amazing cause I didn't think they'd do it.

I'm sorry I got you excited :hugs: that is so annoying I mean we pay all this money why can we not use what we are entitled to :(