We sure do. As with all medical procedures, HIF can pay a benefit on SRS in instances where benefits are also payable by Medicare. Essentially, any medical service listed under the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) can be covered by private hospital insurance. HIF’s eligibility to cover SRS will therefore depend on the treatment involved and the MBS item codes used for the inpatient admission.
For example, if the patient is taking out private hospital cover for the first time and they’re eligible to receive benefits for SRS, a 12 month waiting period will apply. However, if the patient already holds an equivalent level of cover with another fund and switches to HIF, we’ll automatically honour their length of membership and honour any waiting periods already served for SRS procedures.
Also, if the patient chooses a surgeon who has opted in to HIF’s ‘AccessGap’ arrangement, then the benefits payable will be higher due to the AccessGap Cover ensuring a reduced out-of-pocket expense (gap). A full list of providers who have opted in for AccessGap is available on this webpage.