Health Insurance Is it worth paying extra for a Private Room when paying for my Health Insurance?

[Grizzly]

What is the difference between a private room in a private hospital and a semi private room in a private hospital.
Are there many extra beds in a semi private room and does it depend on the hospital?

How do the Blackrock Clinic, Mater and Beacon compare?

Is it worth paying the extra on my health insurance for a private room?

 

[Monbretia]

Probably depends on hospital, my local private one has rooms with just 2 beds but others have up to 6. In an ideal world I'd like a private room but it's not a priority for me and I'm not paying extra for it.

My father on the other hand 'thinks' he wants a private room but we have found that he is a lot better in a semi private because several things have happened him while in hospital in a room on his own and you could be there a fair old while if you couldn't get to the bell yourself or had no one there to call for help! So from that point of view I think there is a lot to be said for a shared room, one other patient is enough though but that's the luck of the draw probably.

Days can be long and boring in hospital so a good room mate is great for chat and diversion but a bad one is awful, my father's last trip into hospital had him sharing with someone who did not utter one word to him in the space of the week and even worse hogged the remote for the tv and seemed to think it was for his use solely which meant the news on once a day and off for the rest of the day. In the finish I had to actually complain about it and luckily there was another spare bed and my father was moved.

 

[Laramie]

we have found that he is a lot better in a semi private because several things have happened him while in hospital in a room on his own and you could be there a fair old while if you couldn't get to the bell yourself or had no one there to call for help

Good point.
My wife was in hospital in a semi private room. There was a woman beside her with alzheimers who kept getting in and out of bed constantly, making noise etc.
In a private room you have a private bathroom. However if you had a fall here would you be discovered as quickly as in a semi private bathroom?

 

[noproblem]

Agree with all the above and just in case you were in one of the public hospitals and not a private one, you would be very fortunate to get a private room regardless of whether your policy includes it. But your insurance company will be almost guaranteed to get charged for a private room.

 

[gg66]

I wouldn't pay extra.

I've just been in hospital and semi private generally means 4 beds, public means 6.
Any of the single bed rooms were used for isolation so even if I had a private room covered in a public hospital none was available. May be different in a private hospital.

Similar experience to above on pros and cons. It can be a bit annoying if you're in pain and others are talking or if they have the TV on and you're not into it. I found brining noise cancelling headphones and pulling the curtains around my bed gave me all the privacy I needed.
It was also positive to have others to talk to when I felt like it. And patients look out for each other, if you're in pain or need assistance other patients can press the bell for a nurse. If you're on your own and not able to do that, you could be struggling.