Is your Health Fund being fair with your teeth?
At Rockingham Dental Centre we’ve noticed that the ‘Gap’, the difference between what your health insurer rebates you and what your dental treatment actually costs, has been increasing recently. Your health fund has been happily putting up your premium, but they haven’t been increasing your rebate at anything like the same rate.
Why? The Australian Dental Association has been studying this for some time. There’s no doubt that some health funds are using the Ancillary, or General part of the premium to increase their profits, at the expense of your dental cover.
So, what can you do about it? Certainly, review your cover carefully, and make sure that you’re covered for what you think you’re covered for. Watch out for high pressure ‘Join now, claim now’ advertising – you won’t have a chance to read the small print before you sign up, unless you specifically ask to see the Standard Information Statement (SIS).
If you’re not happy with what you see, change your insurer, your cover, or even reconsider whether health insurance is the most cost-effective way of paying for your dental treatment. Those premiums should be helping you keep your teeth healthy, not subsidising inefficient health fund management.
