Hi Benson, I know this isn't exactly fitting with the TLS themed...

Hi Benson, I know this isn't exactly fitting with the TLS themed discussion of this thread but I just can't help but mention that I have used both MBP and HCF in the past, but now, I'd strongly recommend that you have a very good look at HCI ie, "Health Care Insurance Ltd." or hciltd.com.au for a quote on your health insurance. They are a not for profit health insurance organization based in Tasmania and are the only ones I've ever seen that offer you the option of you being able to elect for a one time, $1000 (per person covered) up front excess, which hugely, reduces your ongoing annual premium payments.

It immediately reduced my/our 'couples' annual premium by $1048, under what we were previously paying to MBP so even in the worst case scenario ie, should I/we actually need to make a hospital claim within the first 12 months of HCI policy coverage, we'd still be $48 ahead, on what we were paying, to MBP for *LESS* coverage than what we currently now have under the new HCI policy, which also has *ABSOLUTELY NO EXCLUSIONS* at all, unlike the previous MBP policy which had MULTIPLE EXCLUSIONS.

Now lets face it, how often do you plan to go into a private hospital within the next 12 months...?? If you can avoid going into a private hospital within the first 12 months of taking out the HCI policy then you've already saved yourself the $1000 up front excess, and from there onwards, that $1000+plus that you've then saved on your previous health insurance company's (eg, MBP's) premiums, is continually accruing into your own bank account's balance with each and every passing year that you don't actually need to make a hospital claim upon your HCI policy.

To make your health insurance savings even larger, you can also simply elect to pay your entire HCI annual policy premium for the next calendar year, in one single annual payment, up front, prior to the 1st of April each year, and that way you will also avoid paying for the annual policy price rise, post, the 1st April each year as well.