Health Insurance Self insurance vs maternity benefits

[trasneoir]

I'll be taking out some kind of insurance soon as I approach the age where community rating will start to penalize me if I don't.

I'd generally subscribe to the notion that I should only insure against really expensive, unlikely events. For everything else I keep a decent emergency fund and insure myself. I generally just want insurance to cover the exotic, urgent or experimental surgery that's not available (or too slow) through the public system. I'll be happy to pay a couple of thousand excess in this unlikely event, and pay out of pocket for everything else.

Based on a very little research, Flex 500 Explore is the best fit I've found so far.

1. Can anybody recommend an alternative?
2. Is there any merit to buying more cover if pregnancy was on the cards in 12-36 months? I imagine we'd be looking for the best possible accommodation/treatment within a public hospital.


Thanks.

 

[snowyb]

trasneoir,

Flex 500 Explore is the best option based on your overall ideas.
There's a 10% discount for new customers if you buy online at the moment.

Regarding maternity cover, there is no advantage in buying more cover.
Private maternity cover is based on seeing your chosen consultant privately for each visit throughout, in the hospitals private clinics.
This consultant will also attend at the birth.
A private room is covered if available at the time of birth, there is no guarantee regarding availability of a private room.
Private maternity costs from approx 2,500 to 4000+ depending on the chosen hospital and consultant involved.
A bit of research and decision making required here, for future reference.

Snowyb