Qantas Health Insurance - what are the thoughts of those that have it?

[RSD]

Got asked my thoughts by a family friend as they know that I am a QFF but I don't know much about the product. What are the thoughts of those that use it - a decent health insurance program or you only went for it because of the swag of bonus points?

 

[Human]

We have hospital cover from Qantas but not extras, simply because the price of hospital cover was competitive but extras wasn't. However, how health insurance companies charge is a mystery to me (I first got a quote when we lived in WA and it was ridiculous ... a couple of years later we moved to Victoria, I got another quote and for some reason the price was several hundred dollars per year cheaper). So it's definitely worth getting a quote.

We've been in the unfortunate position of having to put in claims a few times over the years, and Qantas Insurance (which is actually NIB) has always been fantastic. They've been helpful before, during and after the hospitalisation, and we've never had any problems or disputes over payment or coverage.

I also love the Qantas Wellbeing app. It's a genuine motivation for me to keep my steps up, to exercise -- even to not use my phone at night. Together, my family of 4 earns well over 30,000 points per year just from using the app.

My advice would be to get it, if the price is right. Don't get it for the points, but see the points as a nice bonus.

 

[Rich]

We switched a year or so ago to QF when our previous cover yet again cut back on some extras benefits. It got me looking and Qantas was actually the best deal for our circumstances and even cheaper than the equivalent with NIB.
Our 60% back on extras is not as good as some others, but I like that you get a flat 60% back without having to find preferred suppliers.
The claims process is great. Just upload the receipt and they do the rest. No typing in provider numbers and service codes.

 

[tomlee1986]

It is a good company but not many realised it exists… but claim process is good

 

[jase05]

We have the Gold with Top Extras policy and swapped over after the Medibank fiasco.
Find the claim process outstanding and happy with the policy in general

 

[Port Power]

Unfortunately NIB doesn’t offer levels of cover for different age groups or needs, so it definitively didn’t work for me. The customer also needs to be aware that low premiums equate with lower cover. Many surgeons will not gap cover with NIB as they pay out much less than many other companies. (This is a fact as I was practice manager for a surgeon.)

Like any insurance policy, the buyer needs to read what is covered and decide if it suits them and/or their family.

 

[Lynda2475]

The Qantas policy is not as good as some of the other NIB policies, the corporate NIB policy I already have is much better value.

I would never call NIB low premium (HCF is very cheap), it is actually on the expensive side but my policy gives 90% back on extras and I can go to any provider, not just preferred ones like some of the other companies try to push you to do.

Id prefer to see my exceptional dentist not some dental student at an inconvenient location owned by the health fund.

 

[RSD]

Many thanks for all the replies - I will give them a look - some more QF points can't hurt!

 

[Andy72]

Unfortunately NIB doesn’t offer levels of cover for different age groups or needs, so it definitively didn’t work for me. The customer also needs to be aware that low premiums equate with lower cover. Many surgeons will not gap cover with NIB as they pay out much less than many other companies. (This is a fact as I was practice manager for a surgeon.)

Like any insurance policy, the buyer needs to read what is covered and decide if it suits them and/or their family.

I am not sure about the Qantas policy but NIB wind back the amount paid to providers significantly. Such that even if the provider charges a 1$ excess to what nib will rebate, you are up for substantial more, the $1 gap plus the decreased rebate which may be hundreds. Just doesn’t seem fair when most other insurers allow a known gap of 500. I would ask them when signing up to clarify. Irrelevant to extra cover

 

[SCM]

It's just an insurance reseller with it's own markup for the brand and the sign-on bonus.

Something like healthcare insurance is a bit too important to churn for points.

 

[justinbrett]

I got it to avoid Medicare Levy Surcharge and wanted the absolute cheapest policy possible with no extras. Qantas actually had the lowest price so it was an easy decision.

I’m also getting around 400 points a week on the wellbeing app which will be about 20K over the year, a good help for points club.

If you want a policy to actually use, then I couldn’t comment, I don’t plan to ever use it.

 

[Rich]

It's just an insurance reseller with it's own markup for the brand and the sign-on bonus.

Something like healthcare insurance is a bit too important to churn for points.

I agree with your second statement but the first one is not necessarily the case. It is just another variant of a NIB policy.

 

[justinbrett]

Something like healthcare insurance is a bit too important to churn for points.

It depends on your circumstance, but health insurance may be completely unnecessary. It's just a question of dollars to save on the Medicare Levy Surcharge.

If that's the case, churn away.

 

[Bengingerflea]

I haven't used that specific health insurance program, but a couple of friends did mainly for the bonus points. It's tempting, right? But from what I've learned, it's super important to check if the plan actually fits your health needs. One friend realized later that the coverage wasn't quite what he needed, even though the points were great at the start.

 

[bussyboy]

75% back on extras is good, but you quickly reach your annual limits as a result.

Customer service ahead of a hospital stay (2 weeks away) is good, as well as dispute resolution (i was double charged on a manual payment) was efficient and informed

Noticeably more expensive than other options, but if you're comfortable with that is a good product

 

[MEL_Traveller]

It is also well worth checking if your employer, professional association or union offers special discounts and perks if you join one of their overarching policies. I get 10% off premiums through mine + a ‘free upgrade’ on hospital silver to ‘silver plus’.

This makes it difficult for other products to be competitive, even with one-off or ongoing points bonuses.

 

[scheps]

Anything underwritten by NIB is not great for hospital related needs. You are likely to pay more for medical procedures with NIB than with most other health funds depending on procedures. Some well subscribed medical practitioners are now refusing to see patients who are with NIB because it is no longer worth doing. Cant say for extras though.

 

[CaptJCool]

Does QF health insurance pause cover when you’re overseas ??

 

[SYD]

Does QF health insurance pause cover when you’re overseas ??

I doubt it (nor would others) because they’re still on the hook to cover us if we get back alive.

 

[bussyboy]

Does QF health insurance pause cover when you’re overseas ??

I thought that current health insurance regulations pretty much meant every insurer had to offer the same sort of features/benefits, and there was little to distinguish but for the amount of benefits paid on each level of cover, annual limits, etc.

In any event, yes:

Members can apply to suspend their health insurance for reasons of financial hardship, or overseas travel. Members must be with Us for 12 continuous months before being able to apply for a suspension. Financial hardship suspensions must be for a minimum 2 months and a maximum of 3 months. Overseas travel suspensions must be for a minimum of 2 months and a maximum of 24 months