Private Health Insurance?

[Bathsheba]

Our budget has become very tight since we've sent our DD to boarding school but we wouldn't trim our budget with regard to our PHC (private health cover). Mainly because if we cancelled it we would have to start paying higher premiums again if we ever rejoined (both DH and I are over 40). I can't recall the exact ratios but I know that once you are over 30 you have to pay a percentage more in your premiums. DH is 43 so might have to pay something like 13% more if we ever cancelled and rejoined IYKWIM? I am 41 this year so maybe that will mean an added %11 for me... it's something like that. As we stand now we don't have to pay that extra bit because we had PHC since before we turned 30. ETA: oh and now DH is on a higher income and the Medicare Levy payable (if we didn't have PHC) would be very high indeed! We might as well have the insurance!

DH and I believe in insurance. As a general concept. We also have friends in similar circumstance to us (age, occupation and number of kids etc) who only have insurance if it's a legal requirement. Maybe it's a peace of mind thing? Some people are happy to cross each bridge as it comes others lose sleep worrying about "what if".

Personally we would cut back things like our football membership before PHC. We don't have pay TV but that would also go before the PHC.

From my experience it's not just life threatening situations you have to worry (or not worry) about in terms of the level of care you will recieve. There are MANY so called 'elective' conditions that could leave you on a waiting list for a very long time... and in discomfort if you don't have PHC. <---- *snap* Marydean!

My editting function is playing up... grrrr! Be back later...