Health insurer Medibank introduces “Medibank at Home”
Receive the care you need in the comfort of your own home.
Medibank will be offering its members the option to receive treatment for a range of care services in their own homes instead of in the hospital, with its new "Medibank at Home" program.
The move comes after survey data found that two in three Australians who had been going to the hospital for treatment or visiting a friend or relative in the last 12 months, felt that the travel to and from the hospital was a major strain.
“Medibank at Home" is about empowering our members with greater choice, control and flexibility around where they receive their care. Results from our current pilots show that for members with specific health needs, receiving care at home can deliver as good or better results, alleviate stress for both the patient and their support network, and decrease the risk of hospital readmission," Medibank chief medical officer Dr Linda Swan said in a statement.
The program will allow eligible members to receive treatment in their own homes for services such as the currently available national rehabilitation at home service, as well as the chemotherapy, palliative care and dialysis at home trials.“The announcement of this program reinforces Medibank’s commitment to shaping the future of care, and we look forward to both the expansion of existing services and the announcement of new initiatives in the near future,” Dr Swan said.
Survey says travel is stressful
The survey found that 86% listed parking as the number one stressor for patients travelling to receive treatment. The cost of parking at the hospital was also a common gripe and it's not surprising why, with 12% saying that they'd paid more than $40 on a single trip to the hospital.
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