With winter in full swing and colds and influenza sweeping the nation, there may be a way for those with appropriate hospital cover to receive care in the privacy, and comfort, of their own homes.
Several leading health insurance providers offer at-home care with some of their policies, meaning Australians with cover who meet eligibility requirements and have served relevant waiting periods could receive medicines, treatments, infusions, physiotherapy, dialysis, post-surgery rehabilitation and more, all from within their own four walls.
With our most vulnerable at risk of serious illness if they contract COVID-19 or influenza, health insurance is an effective way for Australians to continue receiving the care they need safely.
In your own home
According to comparison website, Compare the Market, many health insurers offer various at-home care programs for a range of illnesses and conditions in some of their policies. While these home management and support programs aren’t compulsory for insurers to offer and do vary between providers, many Australians are missing out on at-home care because they simply don’t know what’s available to them as part of their policy.
Always check your policy wording for inclusions in your level of cover. If you’re eligible for at-home care and not currently receiving it, chat with your insurer about what you need to do to sign up. The treatments and programs available do vary significantly between providers, meaning some Australians may not be getting the most out of their current policy.
Just as department stores may stock exclusive items, it’s a similar story when it comes to health insurance and at-home services. Some are going to offer a greater variety of treatments you can receive at home, while others will offer minimal treatments or none at all.
You may be able to find at-home treatments with another insurer and if you’ve already served your waiting periods, they may allow you to switch and start taking advantage of these services sooner.
Skip the waiting line
While Australians who don’t yet have hospital cover will need to sit out the relevant waiting periods before they can benefit from at-home care with their insurer, it’s worth considering if you think you’ll need care from home in the near future.
Like all insurance products, health policies require you to serve a waiting period before you can claim. However, for people with chronic conditions or who anticipate undergoing major surgery in the near future, policies boasting at-home care can be a life-changer.
It’s worth noting that Medicare can cover some telehealth costs for appointments with GPs, specialists, nurse practitioners, obstetricians, registered midwives and allied health professionals. This is another alternative for Australians who aren’t comfortable visiting hospitals or doctor practices amid a surge in illness in the community.
The Australian Government also offers at-home healthcare services for older Australians, but people may still be subject to public waiting lists.
This is where health insurance can come in handy. Even for those who don’t yet have a policy, you can sometimes access at-home care quicker than you would if you waited in the public system.
