Chest surgery questions

[not_in_denial]

OK, I have a zillion questions. Any and all help would be appreciated. For reference, I'm in Melbourne, still pre-everything, and I've been putting up with Monash's crap for two or three years or so and I'm getting tired of it

Comments

[radicalyffe]

I'm not very helpful, because I don't have my quotes yet from my surgeon, but I do know that some of the surgery cost is covered by Medicare, which is why its really important to make sure they get your gender marker right. (F gets more back from medicare than M, don't know why).

The expensive parts are the aneasthetist, surgical assistants, and hospital stays, which I think you can all get covered at least in part by private health cover. There's a 12 month waiting period after you get private health insurance though.
boy_ewen knows more about the cost of surgery and and rahball knows more private health insurance.

Private insurance

[rahball]

Yes, HIF. www.hif.com.au
I've only got the ancillary cover, but you can use that to reduce the cost of Reandron, resulting in a total saving of about $130 per year (says he who is waiting on his first refund, so absolute confirmation of this fact is pending). If you fork out more money, you can get hospital cover as well. Email them for the current brochure.
In a nice ironic bonus, they don't ask you for your sex on the application form, so you can call yourself a Mr with a clear conscience. ;)

I have some vague theoretical idea that chest surgery leaves you no more than two thousand dollars out of pocket after the Medicare rebate, but that's just assembled from hearsay, so don't take it as gospel.

Re: Private insurance

[rahball]

Update: My copy of the HIF brochure says that all their hospital cover excludes "Services deemed by Medicare as cosmetic and/or services that do not attract a Medicare benefit". It makes no specific mention of our reconstructive surgery, which implies that this *is* covered, but you'd have to check with them to be sure.

Re: Private insurance

[tracker00]

My understanding is that there is a particular code that a doctor can use that means that it attracts a Medicare Benefit. It would be worth asking this question on the Oz Guys Yahoo list - because I can't remember it offhand.

[razorsharpblade]

Heya,

To the best of my knowledge, there are no public hospitals in Oz that are doing chest surgery. You will still get a rebate from Medicare even having it done in the private system. There will be a pain in your wallet, and yes if you get into private health cover now it will ease that pain as well. How much you will have to pay out of pocket will depend on the surgeon and they should give you a quote prior to your consenting to the procedure. I'd hesitate to say an exact amount only because it is quite a few years since I had my surgery and costs and charges change over time

[razorsharpblade]

The sucky bit with the additional payment is that Medicare pays 80% of the scheduled fee, private health cover will pay the remaining 20% and many if not all surgeons charge above the scheduled fee.

[azhdragon]

I've been in discussions with dr bartholomeusz about this