A 43-year old woman from Melbourne, Katina Frangos had been considering cancelling her health insurance to save money. Since the age of 30, Katina has been paying premiums for her insurance. Two years ago, she almost decided to cancel her insurance until news regarding a diagnosis of cervical cancer came in.
The news shook her. It made her make decisions immediately regarding the treatment. Although the urgency of removing the cancer was not that high, she still decided to remove it.
Katina had a private doctor overseeing her recovery and this is due to the contribution of her insurance.
Australians are lucky
Compared to the US, Australia brags a capable public system. This design complements well with the private system that gives the people the discretion of what to take and what not to take.
According to Carmen Huckel Schneider, a health policy lecturer at the University of Sydney, Australians are fortunate because the outcome of healthcare on either public or private health systems secures a satisfying result. One should still be mindful that private health insurance can be expensive.
For example, Katina pays $1,600 annually for her insurance plus the $2,000 for the surgery that covered all the necessary things for the operation. Besides, she still pays hundreds of dollars for appointments.
She stated that the payment for every appointment could fall within the range of $230-$400.
However, last December, Katina was devastated upon knowing that she is positive for cancer again. This made her think of going private or public for future treatments. However, she keeps coming back at choosing to stay insured to not be a burden to the private system.
We can’t all afford private health insurance
Private health insurance’s cost could range from $1,336 that covers only the basic hospital stay for a single person to $2,715 for a family with two kids.
However, younger people do not use their health insurance much as compared to older people aged between 60 and 80, who are also the largest users of such covers.
Amanda Mancini, a mother of three, found out that she has cervical cancer after giving birth to her third child. She could even recall the devastation that caused her upon knowing the disease. Another burden to the problem is that her private insurance was already gone even before conceiving a child.
After the diagnosis, Amanda was immediately traveled to Melbourne where she was treated. The public system covered all the expenses that she needed in treating her cancer. She spent eight weeks in radiation and chemotherapy to kill the cancer cells.
Amanda was satisfied with the way the public system ensured her out of her disease. Even her transportation to and out of the hospital was covered.
What should be considered?
According to Dr. Schneider, it could be admitted that whether to choose or not the private system is a very difficult decision to make.
Over the years, the cost of private health insurance continues to rise. However, one of the advantages of such is that you don’t have to wait for the lists in the public system.
In considering such matters, it is important to take note of the high level of care that the public system provides.
Moreover, people should also be mindful of the benefit they could get from the insurance, whether or not it is fitted in their lifestyle as well as the waiting periods for services and treatments.
And if health insurance was not taken out, a Medicare levy could be paid.
For additional information, visit the Department of Health website to have insights on what options you should take.
