Twitter Blog: Google Twitter=Extra Super Tuesday

Does anybody have a reading on the future Google/Twitter plans. Is Twitter included in google search?
Twitter Blog: Google Twitter=Extra Super Tuesday

Will I have hassles getting the cover I want?

Most health funds are open to anyone who wants to join, although there are a few which cater just for families who have a member working in a particular occupation, such as teaching, police or the armed forces.

The right of health insurers to deny you access if you are eligible or to charge you different premiums is limited by law. You may not be refused cover or charged more because you have health problems or have been sick in the past, or because of your sex or family status.

If you delay starting hospital cover until after the age of 30 years, Lifetime Health Cover loadings will be added to your premiums. The rules for these loadings are the same for everyone and, apart from some minor discounts for different ways of paying your premiums, these are the only variations allowed to the same basic premiums charged to everyone for any given product.

You can be required to wait for two months before any cover starts. Also, you can be refused benefits for "pre-existing" conditions for up to twelve months but you must be given full cover after the twelve months.

Some products have waiting periods longer than twelve months for particular benefits (eg expensive dental procedures) but these waiting periods must apply in the same way to everyone who buys those products.

An easy way to start looking for the right coverage is to compare private health funds. Ozecover offers a no charge, obligation free comparison of every fund and product based on the answers you give to some very simple questions. they return you a ranked list of the 10 best choices and give you the ability to side-by-side compare the details of every private health insurance product.

How safe are health insurers?

All private health insurance is regulated in Australia by the Commonwealth Government, under the Private Health Insurance Act 2007.

Every insurer has its finances monitored by the Private Health Insurance Administration Council, known in the industry as PHIAC. All must file reports on their solvency and capital adequacy at least every three months, and PHIAC has power to intervene with any insurer that has problems.

Every year PHIAC publishes a report on the finances of individual health insurers, and this document is available to the general public.

Who supplies health insurance products?

There were 38 organisations registered to offer private health insurance in Australia in June 2007, of which 25 are open to anyone who wants to join and 13 are restricted to families who have someone in particular occupations, such as teachers, police or armed services.

This market is changing quickly and these changes are likely to continue.

BUPA and MBF, Australia's second and third largest insurers, merged in June 2008.

Medibank Private and Australian Health Management announced in June 2008 that they are negotiating a merger.

HCF and Manchester Unity announced in August 2008 that they too were considering a merger.

Druids Friendly Society tranferred its business to GMHBA as at 1 October 2008.

To compare private Health Insurance check out Ozecover's free comparison service covering every Australian private health Insurer

What are the benefits of private health insurance?

Over 11 million Australians, more than half the population, have private health insurance in addition to cover from Medicare.

In surveys by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the main reasons people give for having private cover are to avoid hospital waiting lists, to have a choice of doctors in hospital, and for general peace of mind.

Also, the Commonwealth Government offers a number of "sticks and carrots" to encourage you to have private health cover, as follows:

• you get a rebate of at least 30% (more if you are over 65) of all your premiums for private hospital and "extras" cover
• you avoid a 1% Medicare Levy Surcharge payable when your taxable income is over $70,000 (single) or $140,000 (family), provided you have suitable hospital cover, and
• you establish an entry age that limits age-related premium loadings under Lifetime Health Cover, once you take out private hospital cover.