Older Aussies hit by gap fees and rising treatment costs

Feel like you’re paying too much for your health insurance? That’s understandable. Many middle age and older Aussies have to balance the cost of covering their health needs with expensive top tier policies.

But it’s one thing to pay top dollar for top cover – it’s another to then have to fork out extra in gap fees. Yet the average out-of-pocket fee for hospital treatment rose by $319* in 2020. It’s why thousands of over 50s are turning to this website to cut their costs.

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Paying too much?

Australia: We saved our average customer $320* on their average annual premium! Select your age and see how much you could save!

*Average savings based off over 110,000 customers between 2018-2021

But I’m paying for top tier coverage so why am I getting a gap fee?

If you’re already paying for the highest level of hospital cover, it’s not unreasonable to assume there should be little or no gap fees to pay when you need treatment.

Sadly, higher premiums don’t always lead to lower gap fees as out-of-pocket costs often exist regardless of your level of cover.

They depend on if your doctor or specialist charges over the Medicare Benefits Schedule fee, and whether your fund runs a no or known gap scheme (if you want to know more about these schemes, have a look at our gap fees guide).

This means people who are more likely to access common hospital and specialist services – often Australians aged 50 and above – are most affected by these gap charges.

Ouch.

Do I now have to sell a non-vital organ to cover common treatments?

Health funds aren’t always great at communicating no gap schemes, or when or where their members may be hit by gap fees.

You often have to do a bit of legwork to work out if you’re likely to be hit with a big medical bill, but the good news is there is a way to cut some of the uncertainty of a nasty gap fee

Our team of experts dive into the details to recommend a fund that has an appropriate medical gap scheme and an agreement with your local hospital.

It’s hard enough to understand known gaps and gap-free services, when and where these take place and which hoops you have to jump through in order to qualify.

So get in touch with Health Insurance Comparison today and let us find a way to cut down the pain of out-of-pocket hospital expenses.

Get Started Now:

Step 1: Select your state below .
Step 2: After answering a few questions, you will have the opportunity to compare quotes in your area and could be eligible for significant savings.