Changes to your cover April 2021

Changes to your cover April 2021

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* Based on an Australian Government Rebate of %, % LHC loading, $ excess for a in . Please note the amount quoted may vary after 1 April due to base price changes and rounding adjustment.

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Have a question?

Here are answers to common questions our members have about premium and benefit changes.

 

Premium increases – when you’ll hear from us, why premiums increase and your pre-pay options.

 

Government rebate – what’s changing from 1 April 2021 and how to claim the rebate.

 

Benefit changes – the benefit improvements we’ve made on Top Extras and Essential Extras.

 

Contacting us – how to get in touch if you have a question about your membership.

 


Premium increases

What will my premium be from 1 April 2021?

We started calculating individual premiums as soon as we received all the relevant info from the government, which happened early February 2021.

To find out your new premium please refer to your premium notification, which we started sending to members from mid-February.

 

How will you update me?

It depends whether you’ve chosen to hear from us by post or email. As you’d imagine, email is generally quicker than post.

Once we’ve generated your premium notification, it’ll also go into your Online Member Services mailbox.

Updating your contact preference

  • Via Online Member Services – go to: My membership > Contact details and scroll down to Contact preferences. Hit the Edit button to make a change.
  • Via our member app– tap the menu icon (bottom right), then Membership > My contact details and tap Edit.

More on switching to email

 

When do increases apply from?

From the first payment you make on or after 1 April 2021. When that is depends on your payment frequency or when you're paid up until.

To check which date you’re paid up to, log in to Online Member Services and go to Payments > Contribution details and scroll down to Paid to date.

 

Can I pre-pay my cover?

Yes, you can pre-pay up to 31 March 2022. Your advanced payment options are credit card (Visa or Mastercard), BPAY or direct debit.

How to pre-pay

 

Why are UniHealth premiums increasing?

At UniHealth, our members are at the heart of what we do. We work hard to keep our premiums as low as possible, while continuing to provide the quality cover our members expect.

Our aim is to find a balance between keeping costs as low as we can for members, and ensuring we continue to operate sustainably.

The key factors in premium increases are:

  • Rising costs of healthcare
  • Growing demand for health services
  • Our ageing population.


Why are premiums increasing 6 months after the last increase?

Last year’s annual premium increases were postponed – they happened in October rather than April. So while the most recent increases are closer together, it’s due to this postponement.

On the upside, this also means that many of our members paid a lower premium for the 6 months leading up to October 2020.

 

What does the industry average premium increase mean?

The average premium increase of 2.74% is an industry-wide number. In other words, it’s the average of all Australian health funds’ average increases, which doesn’t mean a lot regarding your actual premium.

The actual change for each health fund member depends on the increase their fund sets for their specific level of cover (see below).

 

What does UniHealth’s average premium increase (2.88%) mean for me?

Put simply, not a lot! This figure is the average increase across all our health cover options. Some increases may be above the average figure, others below.

That’s why it’s important to wait until you get your individual premium info from us, as that’s what’s relevant to you. 

 

Why is your average increase slightly higher than the industry’s?

As mentioned above, the average increase is just that. An average across the whole membership, not your individual increase.

As a not-for-profit fund, we don’t take increases lightly. When premiums do go up, it’s to provide quality cover and ensure the sustainability of the fund (not give payouts to shareholders).

Something else to consider is how competitive our cover is to other health funds overall, rather than just the increase in a given year. It’s important to evaluate the whole package – sometimes paying less can mean you get less (in terms of what’s covered and additional member benefits).

And despite the average figure, our cover remains competitively priced within the market. You can compare the costs via our free, online comparison tool.

If you’d like to talk through your options, we’re here to help. You can call us on 1300 367 906.

 

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Australian Government Rebate

Is the rebate changing in 2021?

Yes. The Australian Government Rebate usually changes each year on 1 April.

Below you’ll find the rebates for 1 April 2021 – 31 March 2022 along with the previous numbers (1 April 2019 – 31 March 2021).

 

1 April 2021 – 31 March 2022

Singles

≤$90,000

$90,001-105,000

$105,001-140,000

≥$140,001

Families

≤$180,000

$180,001-210,000

$210,001-280,000

≥$280,001

 

Base Tier

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

< age 65

24.608%

16.405%

8.202%

0.000%

Age 65-69

28.710%

20.507%

12.303%

0.000%

Age 70+

32.812%

24.608%

16.405%

0.000%

 

Note: Single parents are subject to family tiers. For families with dependent children, the income thresholds increase by $1,500 for each child after the first child.

 

1 April 2019 – 31 March 2021

Singles

≤$90,000

$90,001-105,000

$105,001-140,000

≥$140,001

Families

≤$180,000

$180,001-210,000

$210,001-280,000

≥$280,001

 

Base Tier

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

< age 65

25.059%

16.706%

8.352%

0%

Age 65-69

29.236%

20.883%

12.529%

0%

Age 70+

33.413%

25.059%

16.706%

0%

 

Do I have to claim the rebate as a reduced premium?

No, if you’re eligible for the rebate you can do it when you lodge your annual tax return instead.

 

I’m turning 65 or 70 – will my rebate change?

You may be eligible for a higher rebate when you turn 65 or 70. If so, we automatically update your rebate percentage in our system – you don’t need to do anything.

If you celebrated your birthday (congrats!) after we created your UniHealth 2021 premium notification, your increase will be based on your pre-birthday rebate. If you’re now entitled to a higher rebate, we’ll update this for you.

 

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Benefit changes

Did you make changes to UniHealth Hospital cover from 1 April 2021?

No, we haven’t made changes to any UniHealth Hospital cover for 2021.

 

On Basic Hospital (Basic Plus) or StarterPak (Basic Plus)?

Please note that your cover doesn’t include Insulin Pumps.

This exclusion dates back to April 2019, when the government introduced a new system of Hospital cover tiers (Gold/Silver/Bronze/Basic) and set out which Clinical Categories had to be included in each tier (as a minimum requirement).

 

Did you make changes to UniHealth Extras cover from 1 April 2021?

Yes, we’ve increased the following benefits on Top Extras and Essential Extras:

 

Top Extras

Increased benefits from 1 April 2021:

  • Hearing aid charger– this new benefit will be introduced under Hearing Aids, covering 50% of the cost of a hearing aid charger (up to the limit of $100). This can be claimed every 3 years (one charger per person).

  • Artificial Aids and Appliances* – we’ve listened to your feedback (always welcome!) and you can now claim for some additional products through existing categories. This includes:
    • Surgical corsets/braces/trusses – Dale Abdominal Binder
    • Mastectomy bra – Valletta Top
    • Artificial nose and artificial ear

*You may need to submit an Aids and Appliances Form to claim for these items.  

 

Category

New product

Benefit (% of cost)

Limit from 1 April 2021

Surgical corsets/braces/trusses

Dale Abdominal Binder

75%

$500**

Mastectomy bra

Valletta Top

90%

$400

Artificial nose

 

75%

$1,000**

Artificial ear

 

75%

$1,000**

 

**These are sub-limits of the overall $1,200 annual limit for Artificial Aids and Appliances.

Benefit limits, sub-limits and annual limits may apply – please contact us on 1300 367 906 if you have any questions. Limits are per calendar year unless otherwise specified.

 

Essential Extras

Increased benefit for Optical services from 1 April 2021:

Optical

Current benefit

New benefit

Lenses

$95

$100

 

How can I check what I’m covered for?

You’ll find this info on your Private Health Insurance Statement (PHIS), which you’ll get with your premium notification.

Please read it carefully, as it’ll help you understand what you are, and aren’t, covered for. If you’d like to talk through your cover options, we’re here to help. Our contact details are below.

 

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Contacting us

How can I get in touch with UniHealth?

  • Premium notifications – please note that you don’t need to confirm receipt of your UniHealth premium letter. We don’t want our valued members (including you!) to waste time on any unnecessary admin.
  • Your membership – if you have a question about your membership, cover or premium, we’re here to help on 1300 367 906.
    As this is an especially busy time, call wait times may be longer than usual. If so, please know we’re doing our best. And thanks in advance for your patience!
  • Non-urgent enquiries – if your issue isn’t time-sensitive, here are some other ways to contact us.

 

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