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Receiving a cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming for you and your loved ones. The right health insurance help to ease some of the financial burdens while you focus your energy on your recovery. Private insurance can cover some treatments as well as the option to choose your own doctor and stay in your own private room at the hospital.
Yes, Medicare can pay for all of your in-hospital treatments if you choose to be treated as a public patient. Whether or not you use private health insurance, you'll still rely on Medicare for a large portion of the costs linked to your cancer - generally speaking, Medicare tends to cover anything from around 60% to 90% of the overall cost.
Medicare provides rebates for some outpatient services too, including:
Be sure to check with your health provider about any costs you'll face ahead of time. Similarly, it's good to check in with your health fund before you receive any treatment so that you know exactly what's covered, along with any restrictions or exclusions.
Private health insurance can work alongside Medicare, giving you the benefit of having more control over your treatment and where it occurs. It covers you for:
You'll still have out-of-pocket costs with private health insurance, it's important to note.
If you're looking for the best insurance policy, here's a few things to consider:
Here are the typical waiting periods you can expect as a cancer patient:
Start by working out at all of the various treatments, procedures or consultations that you could encounter as a cancer patient.
Your ability to get public and/or private assistance is slightly different in each case. By looking at the options you have and the financial roadblocks you can encounter in each case, you can develop strategies that will help you minimise your out-of-pocket expenses as a whole.
Looking to explore more options? Use this free tool to see side by side quotes from over 20 Australian funds.
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