Save money on insurance during economic downturn
4 December 2008
With the economic downturn in tow the current issue on people’s minds is how to get value for money, especially when it comes to necessities such as health insurance.
CUA (Credit Union Australia) Acting Chief Executive Officer Mr Rob Nicholls said when it came to choosing a health insurer it was important for people to do their homework.
“To ensure great value for money it is important for people to look for health cover they can afford to use,” he said.
“Sometimes if you pay a little more along the way, rather than settling for a cheaper product, you find you have avoided health insurance that would otherwise be useless as you may not be able to afford the out-of-pocket expenses required if you had to go into hospital.
“It is also smart to find out exactly what your level of cover will entitle you to. For example, you should beware of the exclusions that exist with some insurance policies.
“The most common hospital exclusions are for pregnancy and birth related services, assisted reproductive services, infertility investigations, eye surgery, joint replacements, gastric banding, dialysis, cardiac and cardiac related services, surgery by podiatrists, sterilisation, rehabilitation, psychiatric services and palliative care.
“The good news is that there are some health insurers, like CUA Health, with no hospital exclusions except for non-medically necessary cosmetic surgery.
“No exclusions means you save more money in the long run as the gap to pay for certain consultations is less.”
Mother-of-two Mrs Kylie Massey achieved great value for money and avoided the colossal hospital bills associated with having a baby when she chose to take up health cover with CUA Health.
Mrs Massey said when comparing the benefits of various health insurers she was steered towards CUA Health as the company encompassed areas that other private health insurers excluded.
“Unlike other health insurance programmes, CUA Health Extras cover includes ante-natal classes and even post-natal exercise classes that helped me regain fitness after the births,” she said.
“I shopped around and found CUA Health to be very affordable, plus their customer service is excellent. They handle claims quickly and efficiently and the team is so friendly and helpful.”
Dental cover proved especially useful to Kylie who also needed to have her wisdom teeth removed.
“Everything was hectic, I had just given birth and then found that I needed dental work performed but CUA’s great claims service helped ease the pressure,” she said.
“I have recommended CUA to colleagues and friends and urged them to look away from the more well known providers who don’t offer such a personalised service.
“CUA is a premier health insurance provider, not just because of the great services they offer, but also because they are an affordable choice.”
For further information about CUA Health visit www.cua.com.au or phone 133 cua (133 282).
