Edition 67
June 2010
Message from the Manager
New Brochure and New Benefits
As mentioned briefly in the previous Healthlinks, benefits have been increased markedly from 1st April 2010. The Phoenix Health Fund brochure and website details many of these revised benefit items.
Dental benefits have also been increased, but as there are in excess of 260 individual dental items, we do not publish those details. As most dental claims are now processed through HICAPS using your member card, it is possible to obtain a ‘quote’ for the work that is being planned, which will show the amount of the benefit to be paid by Phoenix, and thus your out of pocket cost. Alternatively, you can obtain the details of the work to be done from the Dentist, and we can advise you of the Phoenix benefit over the phone. Please note that some dental items may not be claimable via HICAPS – in these cases please submit claims directly to the Fund.
Benefit Exclusions
You may have noticed that a number of larger private health insurers limited their premium increases from 1st April 2010 by adding ‘exclusions’ to some products. Phoenix Health Fund does not have exclusions in any of our hospital products, and has not, and will not be introducing this method of cost containment.
We do have certain products with ‘limited’ or ‘restricted’ benefits (YoungSavers), advised and acknowledged as part of the application.
Federal Budget
There was little in the recent budget to affect private health insurance, as least in the short term. There was an indication that the Income Means Test that will affect the federal government Rebate on health insurance contributions, coupled with a higher Medicare Levy Surcharge, will be introduced (for the third time) to the Senate. The original start date for the means test was to be 1st July 2010, but this is now not possible. If and when this change occurs, members will be advised well in advance.
William Beaton
Chief Executive Officer
The Back Page
Ambulance Quick Links
Coverage for Ambulance Services varies from state to state within Australia. If you live in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia or the Northern Territory, you will need to join an Ambulance Subscription Scheme, and Phoenix will pay Ancillary Benefits towards these contributions. In Queensland, Ancillary Benefits are paid towards your Compulsory Ambulance Levy. For New South Wales and ACT, the fund pays a levy on your behalf as part of the Hospital Tables.
In the event that Emergency Ambulance transport is required while you are travelling outside your home state, the fund will cover these costs, so long as you have Ambulance Cover in your home state.
For more information, call our friendly team on Freecall 1800 028 817.
Lifetime Health Cover Loading
Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) is a federal government initiative designed to encourage people to take out hospital insurance earlier in life and to maintain their cover.
If you take out hospital cover earlier in life and maintain your hospital cover, you will pay lower premiums throughout your life compared to someone who joins when they’re older.
To avoid paying a LHC loading, you need to take out a private health insurance hospital policy by the 1st of July following your 31st birthday. For each year you delay, you will pay 2% more for your premium, up to a maximum of 70%.
Once you have paid a LHC loading on your private health insurance for 10 continuous years, the loading is removed as long as you retain your hospital cover.
In an attempt to provide easier communication to you as a member, Phoenix Health Fund are asking members to consider email as an option in receiving important information from the fund. There are plenty of great advantages of using email. Not only do our members who currently use email receive instant information from us, but they are helping us reduce our footprint on the environment.
If you would like to have provide us with your email, please give us a call on FreeCall 1800 028 817 or email us at enquiries@phoenixhealthfund.com.au and leave your name and membership number along with your email address. If you haven’t heard from us in 24 hours please call our office.
Suggestions?
Can you see ways in which we could be providing a better service? Send your thoughts and recommendations to suggestions@phoenixhealthfund.com.au.
