Also for the dating and follow up scans can be bulk billed.
Ring around, one place bulk billed another private and charge $230 out of pocket. Didn’t know this the first time…
I know you didnt ask but just an FYI as you start this complicated medical snakes and ladders journey.
Yep. I write to the Minister yearly about my experience.
Stage 3 tax cuts for top earners should go to unfucking medicare and privatehealthinsurance, include dental. Have a proper system not a half assed one.
Quality, affordable health care is something we all benefit from.
I’m not sure what Victoria is like but I’m been pretty happy with NSW public hospitals whenever I’ve had a run in with them.
I keep min private hospital to avoid paying the Medicare surcharge and it’s automatic ambulance cover here.
That’s it.
This. I refuse to buy into private health. I’ve had some hospital stays for injuries and I’m type 1 diabetic- the public system has always treated me fairly well in Vic and Qld.
Mum and dad are with Pheonix Health. 2 heart attacks, cancer, 2 knee ops, etc… Faultless.
I called to compare my policy and the person on the phone knew my parents cause she had assisted them a few times. She asked how dad was doing knowing what claims had been put in.
This is great advice. We were with AHM, but after meeting our obstetrician, they suggested changing to BUPA as it was going to save us thousands. So we did.
The public system is fantastic if you are seriously ill or need emergency treatment. The top Doctors in Australia in all fields work in our public hospitals (and aren’t we so lucky to have access to this for practically no cost - apart from the Medicare levy).
Private Health cover is fantastic for things considered non urgent (by the Govt not you) such as knees, hips, colonoscopies, IVF and a myriad of other health needs.
Teachers Health Fund (for teachers and families) has been excellent.
I have low cost extras with GMHBA which covers the cost with dental and optical and other basic things I may need.
Yeah, thanks heaps Medibank.
Hopefully a class action takes place otherwise I will have to seek my own legal advice
We’re deeply sorry to inform you that some data relating to your membership has been stolen in the recent cybercrime event.
This email details what specific membership data was stolen, outlines actions you can take to safeguard your online identity, and the services available through our Cyber Response Support Program.
Which of your data has been stolen
Based on our investigation, we can confirm the following data relating to your membership has been stolen:
• first name and surname
• gender
• date of birth
• email (where you have provided it to us)
• address
• phone number (where you have provided it to us)
• policy number
• Live Better activities & rewards data (where this applies to you)
We believe the criminal has not stolen:
| • | Credit card and banking details |
|---|---|
| • | Your health claims data |
| • | Primary identity documents, such as a driver’s licence. Medibank does not collect primary identity documents for Australian resident customers except in exceptional circumstances |
| • | Health claims data for extras services (such as dental, physio, optical and psychology). |
Identity protection
The federal government has issued a fact sheet about this cybercrime event and the steps you can take to safeguard your data. You can view it here.
We have engaged IDCARE – Australia’s national identity and cyber support community service – to assist all customers who have concerns about the exposure of their data. To access this free service, visit the dedicated page for Medibank and ahm customers.
Extra precautions you can take
We recommend being vigilant with all online communications and transactions, namely:
| • | Being alert for any phishing scams that may come to you by phone, post or email |
|---|---|
| • | Making sure to verify any communications you receive to ensure they are legitimate |
| • | Being careful when opening or responding to texts from unknown or suspicious numbers |
| • | Regularly updating your passwords with ‘strong’ passwords, not re-using passwords and activating multi-factor authentication on any online accounts, where available. |
Medibank will never contact you asking for your password or sensitive information.
Customer data on the dark web
We believe data that was stolen has been released by the criminal on the ‘dark web’. The dark web is a closed online network, often accessed for criminal purposes. We strongly advise all affected customers to take the precautions outlined to safeguard their online identity. We recognise the distress this may cause you and we apologise.
The Australian Federal Police and Operation Guardian
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have announced it will protect Medibank customers whose personal information has been unlawfully released online by criminals. They have taken immediate measures to identify further criminal activity. The AFP has stated that law enforcement will take swift action against anyone attempting to benefit, exploit or commit criminal offences using stolen Medibank data. You can read more about Operation Guardian here.
If a person contacts you threatening to release your data unless payment is made, please report this immediately to ReportCyber via their website or on 1300 292 371.
To report a scam, please do so via ScamWatch. If there is an imminent threat to your safety, call Triple Zero.
Support for customers
We have established a Cyber Response Support Program to support our current and former customers:
| • | A cybercrime health & wellbeing line – counsellors who have experience supporting vulnerable people (such as those at risk of domestic violence) and have been trained to support victims of crime and issues related to sensitive health information |
|---|---|
| • | Mental health outreach service – proactive support service for customers identified as being vulnerable, or through referral from our contact centre team |
| • | Better Minds App – new tailored preventative health advice and resources specific to cybercrime and its impact on mental health and wellbeing, including tools for managing anxiety and fear, with additional phone based psychological support available |
| • | Personal duress alarms for customers particularly vulnerable and/or with safety risks |
| • | Hardship support for customers who are in a uniquely vulnerable position as a result of this crime |
| • | Specialist identity protection advice and resources through IDCARE’s purpose-built page for Medibank and ahm customers |
| • | Free identity monitoring services for customers whose primary identity document has been compromised as a result of this crime |
| • | Reimbursement of ID replacement fees for customers who need to replace any identity documents that have been compromised as a result of this crime. Please ensure you keep a copy of the receipt |
| • | Specialised teams to help our customers who receive scam communications or threats in relation to this cybercrime. |
For further information on how to access the Cyber Response Support Program and details of our extended contact centre opening hours, please visit medibank.com.au/cybersecurity or call our contact centre team on 132 331.
Reach out for support
If you’re feeling distressed or anxious, please reach out. Along with calling Medibank’s Mental Health Supportline, you can contact your GP or the following support services:
| • | Beyond Blue (1300 224 636 / beyondblue.org.au) |
|---|---|
| • | Lifeline (13 11 14 / lifeline.org.au) |
If there is an imminent threat to your safety, call Triple Zero.
Visit Medibank Cyber Event Updates and Support page: medibank.com.au/cybersecurity
We’ll continue to post the latest information on this page, along with answers to frequently asked questions.
Yours sincerely,
The Medibank Cyber Response Support Team
seems like a them problem
Yeah farkin Medibank, sent an email asking why they think its ok to keep ripping $200 bucks a fortnight out of my account, reply go’s along the lines of " oh it business as usual". Also how the fark is laser eye surgery classed as cosmetic?
Private Health Insurance is a weird hybrid of insurance, prepayment, and tax avoidance.
Because funds can’t refuse cover, people like @Sam85 can use it strategically and purchase a higher level of cover only when they need it. Obstetrics (pregnancy) is one such huge cost area. Others are weight loss surgery and mental health support. Effectively, you can sometimes buy cover just because you know you need. Everyone else then subsidises that decision. Dental, orthodontic and optometry on General Treatment is a little the same. The waiting periods are the small action to try and mitigate this behaviour.
Some simply use it as a tax avoidance, purchasing the lowest level of cover to avoid the tax penalties plus the Lifetime Healthcover loadings.
And finally, some use it as actual health insurance. Where they purchase more than what they need because they might need it; i.e. using it as an insurance policy. Unfortunately, a lot of the people who do this are the elderly who do then use it a lot.
All of this means that for those who are young and just want insurance (not tax avoidance or prepayment), you’re effectively paying to subsidise the elderly and those who just jump in to game the system.
It also unfortunately means some don’t use it as insurance, or take a lesser level of insurance, and then get caught out when they do need something more. Such as the situation you were in @Heffsgirl.
The problem is you either make all policies cover everything (which would be expensive for all) or you accept that some policies don’t cover everything, and hope nobody gets caught out. Knowing some will.
Worth noting
Medibank are only in this hole because they don’t see the value in paying for insurance.
Draw your own conclusions
@Sam85, you’ll almost certainly need Gold or Silver plus coverage level. Those are usually the only ones that cover obstetrics (pregnancy). Unfortunately, because people can game the system (which is actually what you’re doing) these are the most expensive covers. Definitely look around using the link @eckorock gave above, because prices for those services can be very expensive.
Double check:
The reality is coverage is generally reasonably similar across funds. Many of them join together to negotiate rates with hospital networks, so they’re all using the same systems.
Completely incorrect. Most cyber insurance doesn’t cover much for the actual loss. It is very limited in coverage because most insurers are very leery about providing cover when the losses can be so huge.
Medibank is in this mess is because there was a failure (either through bad management, bad luck or internal corruption) which led to access details being sold/leaked.
Their CFO is saying it’s because they didn’t have cyber sec insurance, but you know different?
Two other things to remember.
Firstly is that most funds are not-for-profit. If you avoid the big guys (Medibank/AHM, Bupa, nib) most of the others are not-for-profit, so you’re not helping any shareholders. And if they ever do sell/transfer, you’ll get some of the value of the fund.
Second, it isn’t just “Hospital” vs. “Extras”. Hospital has four tiers, Basic, Bronze, Silver and Gold. Each one has designated services the Fund must cover. Sometimes they add extra services, which would make it a “plus” product. Gold covers everything.
If you don’t have Gold, you’re not covered for everything. But it is expensive. I’m personally on a Silver product (Westfund).
Actually, the government is the one who designates what services are what.
I know what cyber policies cover. If the CFO is saying cyber insurance would mean this didn’t occur, or no cost to Medibank, then he’s having a laugh.
Seems you don’t understand how ransoms or cyber security insurance works.
Ok, please point me to his comments.
A cyber policy would have provided more assistance with dealing with the issue, and potentially have covered the cost of the ransom if they chose to pay it. Which they didn’t. But the major damage to Medibank isn’t the direct cost, that’s not what the market is factoring in when they slashed the share price. It will be the law suits, the remediation to customers (if any) and the loss of customers. Those are the big hits, and cyber insurance wouldn’t help with any of those.
