Social Health insurance vs public healthcare

[Beastmode]

hey guys, how many of you pay for health insurance vs none and use public healthcare?
My company covers for me and the family and the public healthcare is pretty decent in NZ so never thought about getting health insurance but thinking I wont be working in my retirement so maybe should be signing up.....???

hmmmmmmm

 

[BabylonPink]

hey guys, how many of you pay for health insurance vs none and use public healthcare?
My company covers for me and the family and the public healthcare is pretty decent in NZ so never thought about getting health insurance but thinking I wont be working in my retirement so maybe should be signing up.....???

hmmmmmmm

They're trying to force consumers in Australia onto Private and have been for 20 odd years whilst ripping money put of medicare

 

[tajhay]

They're trying to force consumers in Australia onto Private and have been for 20 odd years whilst ripping money put of medicare

In Aus, you are forced to pay for private healthcare if over a certain threshold else you get slugged a 2% medicare levy come tax time. I personally dont make most of private healthcare, i know others do. If that surcharge/forcing people to get private healtcare so the public system can help provide medicare for less fortunate, im all for it.

 

[kos]

I haven’t commented as I ve been in Aus since 07 and Aus Pvte/ Gov health insurance care is irrelevant to Nz
But prior to that in Nz I had health insure
as part of my remuneratiom
I guess the questions are - what are the wait list times for operations at Nz gov hospitals?
If long maybe private health insurance is an option
But another option if you are young and can afford it is just to
Put aside in a separate fund an amount same as what private health insurance would cost.
I m paying $261 a fortnight in Aus private health insurance including extras which as a couple we try and use.
It’s a debate whether it’s value for money. But if something goes wrong I can quickly get it fixed rather than wait years for a public hospital. Of course in Aus despite having insurance there is still ‘gap’ fees. Had my cataracts done last year gap fee was 6k
But this is just an aside - Nz is totally different

 

[WA Warrior]

In Aus, you are forced to pay for private healthcare if over a certain threshold else you get slugged a 2% medicare levy come tax time. I personally dont make most of private healthcare, i know others do. If that surcharge/forcing people to get private healtcare so the public system can help provide medicare for less fortunate, im all for it.

Yeah I think it’s encouraged to have private health insurance if you can afford it because like you say you’re going to get whacked at tax time.
My parents live in a granny flat i built for them behind my house.
They are older but the health care they receive without private health insurance in impeccable.
Everything from Colonoscopy, Hernia Surgery, liver specialists, Skin Cancer treatment all done for free and immediate.
From my experience the system works over here.

 

[kos]

That’s in Wa ? Every govco service there is gold plated by mining royalties.
Lesser service in the other states.
Spoke to a 93 yo been waiting three years for govco supplied cataract surgery.

 

[WA Warrior]

That’s in Wa ? Every govco service there is gold plated by mining royalties.
Lesser service in the other states.
Spoke to a 93 yo been waiting three years for govco supplied cataract surgery.

Oh wow I never knew that.
I have private insurance and had a knee issue last year I got looked after straight away as well but there was no real difference with my parents only I got a private room and a TV.
We are lucky then I suppose.

 

[kos]

Yeah visited Wa two years ago was blown away by the road and rail
Infrastructure and the bus network and the carefully manicured areas adjacent to beaches etc
We live with relative mediocrity in some other states most I think

 

[tajhay]

Yeah visited Wa two years ago was blown away by the road and rail
Infrastructure and the bus network and the carefully manicured areas adjacent to beaches etc
We live with relative mediocrity in some other states most I think

Thats just Queensland to be honest. The infrastructure in QLD is really poor. God knows how they are going to host an Olympic games with a non existent/unused rail network. Bus services areas close to the city is decent though.

WA itself has a lot of challenges due to its geographic spread with the lowest doctors to patient ratio in the country etc. Everyone has different expectations and experiences with public healthcare. For example there are heaps of posts about WA public healthcare and its very varied as everyone has different experiences i.e.

View: https://www.reddit.com/r/perth/comments/17rvly1/our_public_health_system_sucks/


View: https://www.reddit.com/r/perth/comments/1ijsku0/wa_has_australias_worst_wait_times_for_urgent/


View: https://www.reddit.com/r/perth/comments/1h7ycuc/the_state_of_free_healthcare_in_perth_im/

Its just like people in NSW complaining about public transport. Most of these people complaining have not travelled much outside of the state let alone the country.

 

[kos]

I wouldn’t say public transport is in used in Bris-Gc
Standing room only on trains in Peak Gc/ Bris/ Gc
The train service is pretty extensive not to $ydney level but gold compared to Aucklands three lines think Papakura Henderson and via Panmure AKL/Kura

 

[WA Warrior]

Thats just Queensland to be honest. The infrastructure in QLD is really poor. God knows how they are going to host an Olympic games with a non existent/unused rail network. Bus services areas close to the city is decent though.

WA itself has a lot of challenges due to its geographic spread with the lowest doctors to patient ratio in the country etc. Everyone has different expectations and experiences with public healthcare. For example there are heaps of posts about WA public healthcare and its very varied as everyone has different experiences i.e.

View: https://www.reddit.com/r/perth/comments/17rvly1/our_public_health_system_sucks/


View: https://www.reddit.com/r/perth/comments/1ijsku0/wa_has_australias_worst_wait_times_for_urgent/


View: https://www.reddit.com/r/perth/comments/1h7ycuc/the_state_of_free_healthcare_in_perth_im/

Its just like people in NSW complaining about public transport. Most of these people complaining have not travelled much outside of the state let alone the country.

We have recently (last 5 years) had a project called Metronet that has upgraded and built new Rail lines in Perth.
Also the government has upgraded roads and highways in that same time period.
Our infrastructure is at a high standard imo.
Anecdotally I can talk how good the health system works but that’s just been my experience.