Cessnock District Health Fund

Cessnock District Health Benefits Fund has been looking after the private health insurance needs of its members for more than 60 years. Cessnock District Health Fund is based in Cessnock and offers an extensive range of benefits to policyholders and aims to provide high-quality cover at the lowest premium possible.

Cessnock District Health Fund levels of cover

With an aim to deliver health services at an affordable price, Cessnock District Health Benefits Fund offers a range of policy options for singles, couples and families. Its goal is to keep you healthy and help you save money on your private health insurance.

The fund offers four hospital only cover options ranging from basic through to comprehensive, with some policies available with a choice of excess to help you enjoy lower premiums. Extras Only cover and Ambulance Only cover are also available, while there are five combined policy options available for those who want a broader range of private health benefits.

If you’d like to get in touch with Cessnock District Health Benefits Fund to discuss the possibility of joining, you can contact the fund via phone, email or fax.

If you want hospital only cover you can choose from the following options from Cessnock District Health Fund:

Top Hospital Only

• This policy covers 100% of the hospital costs for treatment you receive as an inpatient at an agreement private hospital across NSW and Australia. You can select your doctor and hospital of choice and enjoy cover for accommodation in a private room, operating theatre, obstetrics, intensive care, coronary care, physiotherapy and pharmacy, psychiatric services, hip and knee replacement surgery, government-approved surgically implanted prostheses, ambulance cover (for NSW residents) and gap benefits for doctors’ services you receive in hospital.

Top Hospital Only with $250 Excess

• This option offers the exact same cover as the above policy except that it requires you to pay a $250 excess when you are admitted to hospital.

Top Hospital Only with $500 Excess

• This option offers all the benefits of Cessnock District Health Fund Top Hospital Only cover but in return for lower premiums, you will need to pay a $500 excess upon admission to hospital.

Basic Only

• This is an affordable and entry-level policy that is suitable for members who don’t need comprehensive cover and who are also looking to save money. It includes cover shared room accommodation and treatment in a public hospital, with only default benefits available for private hospital treatment. Other benefits include your choice of doctor, cover for government-approved surgically implanted prostheses, gap benefits for in-hospital doctor services, ambulance cover and a podiatric surgery benefit.

When it comes to extras cover, Cessnock District Health Benefits Fund provides the following:Extras Only.

Extras Only

• This supplementary Cessnock District Health Fund cover helps you meet the cost of several general treatments not covered by Medicare. This includes cover for dental, optical, physio, chiro, osteopathy, podiatry, acupuncture, natural therapies, homeopathy, hypnotherapy, psychology, dietetics, maternity kits, home nursing, midwifery services, pharmaceutical, speech and occupational therapy and more.

Ambulance Only

• This policy covers emergency ambulance services anywhere in Australia as long as the transportation is offered by a state government service or an organisation recognised by Cessnock District Health Fund.

Finally, those who want cover for both hospital and extras should consider the following combined policies:

Top Hospital and Extras

• This is the highest level of comprehensive cover available from Cessnock District Health Benefits Fund and it combines the benefits of Top Hospital and Extras cover (detailed above).

Top Hospital with $250 Excess and Extras

• This policy combines Top Hospital Only with $250 Excess with Cessnock District Health Fund extras cover.

Top Hospital with $500 Excess and Extras

• This option pairs Cessnock District Health Fund Top Hospital Only with $500 Excess cover with extras cover.

Smart Cover – Young Singles

• Designed for young, fit and healthy applicants who do not have any immediate plans to start a family, this Cessnock District Health Fund policy restricts cover for certain high-cost services (hip replacements, cataract surgery, open heart surgery etc) that policyholders are highly unlikely to need. It covers accommodation in a private room in a public or private hospital, operating theatre, intensive care, physiotherapy and pharmacy, government-approved surgically implanted prostheses, gap benefits for in-hospital doctors’ services and your choice of doctor. Ambulance and ancillary benefits are also included and no excess is payable.
• Basic and Extras. If you want the affordability of Cessnock District Health Fund Basic Hospital cover and the convenience of extras cover, this is the policy option for you.

Are the any ways I can save money on my policy?

• Avoid the loading. Sign up for cover before your 31st birthday to avoid a premium loading under the Australian Government’s Lifetime Health Cover scheme.

• Choose a higher excess or a co-payment option. This will result in lower health cover premiums.
• Choose the right policy. Choose a cover option that excludes services and treatments you will be unlikely to need.
• Cessnock District Health Fund benefits. Choose a restricted benefits product (for example, one that pays a minimum hospital accommodation benefit and only covers some of the cost of things like theatre fees, intensive care and labour ward fees) to enjoy cheaper premiums.
• Choose a product with a limited benefit period. Review the policy benefits and choose one with a limited period.

General exclusions and waiting periods

Cessnock District Health Fund will not pay your claim in a range of circumstances, including if:

• It is for costs associated with visiting your GP or services obtained from a specialist outside of hospital
• It is for services received outside of Australia
• It is for a hospital treatment that Medicare does not offer a benefit for, such as cosmetic surgery that is not medically required
• It is for services obtained while you are serving a waiting period
• It is for services or treatments that are specifically excluded from your cover
• It is for extras treatment received from a fund who is your relative or business partner

Whether you choose to join Cessnock District Health Fund or another private health fund, you should be aware that there are waiting periods that apply to your cover.

Example: While you will only need to wait two months to access most hospital and extras benefits, there are some services (such as obstetrics and treatment for pre-existing conditions) that will require you to serve a 12-month waiting period.

Cessnock District Health Insurance excess

Depending on your Cessnock District Health Fund policy, when you are admitted to hospital you may have to contribute to the overall cost of your hospital stay by paying an excess. This amount is not affected by the number of days for which you are hospitalised and some policies do not require you to pay an excess at all. For example, Top Hospital Cover is available with a $0, $250 or $500 excess, with a higher excess resulting in cheaper premiums.

Another point to remember is that some policies only charge an excess a maximum of once per year, while others charge an excess each time you are admitted to hospital.

How do I make a claim with CDH Benefits Fund?

Cessnock District Health Fund aims to make the claims process as easy as possible for members. While hospitals and doctors will send most medical and hospital bills straight to Cessnock District Health Fund, when you need to make an extras claim you can get in touch with the fund by phone, email or fax, or visit its branch in Vincent Street, Cessnock.

Apply for cover

Cessnock District Health Fund offers a range of competitive health cover options for its members, but make sure to read all the policy documents closely so you know exactly what is and isn’t covered. It’s also sensible to compare all your policy options before you choose the right health fund for your needs.