InfoChoice comes to consumers’ aid over private health cover

Shopping around for private health cover is now a lot easier thanks to
independent consumer information website InfoChoice.com.au’s new
health insurance category, the latest addition to its online range of
buying comparisons for consumers.

The Federal Government’s Lifetime Health Cover scheme introduced in July
has prompted a surge in demand for private health insurance. Now the Government
has legislated to push people to go private, Australians wanting such
cover must choose from a confusing array of almost 1000 plans offered
by health insurers nationwide.

The latest report by the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman shows a 23
per cent rise in complaints from consumers as they grappled with their
health cover choice in the lead-up to the July deadline. Meanwhile, the
insurers themselves have struggled to cope with a wave of prospective
customers flooding their telephone helplines.

Chris Gossselin, CEO of Market faxts, publisher of InfoChoice, said:
“Confusion reigns in the market currently. Many people made quick decisions
to meet the July deadline and now find they don’t have the cover they
thought they had, while others are considering private cover for the first
time to minimise the annual Lifetime Cover penalties.”

As with its successful banking, phone, investment and domestic airfares
categories, InfoChoice allows users to simply compare, at their own pace,
the full range of health plans available in their state. Whether it’s
basic hospital cover or a full hospital and extras policy, anyone looking
for singles, couples or family cover can quickly and easily browse the
plans that suit them in one easy-to-use, unbiased table.

InfoChoice’s health plan selector then enables detailed comparisons of
all the policy ins and outs – the inclusions, exclusions, coverage limits
and qualifying conditions: Is the ‘gap’ covered? Does the plan cover pregnancy?
Or coronary surgery? If so, what is the waiting period? It’s all online
at InfoChoice.com.au, and all free to consumers.

“Insurers are trying their best to inform consumers but at the end of
the day, health insurance policies are complex products,” Mr Gosselin
said. “Consumers can trust us to be independent and give an unbiased rundown
of what’s on offer — much of our health plan data comes from the
Australian Consumers’ Association.”