Southern Cross Chief Executive Peter Tynan explains that the results show that people who are taking out health insurance need to check to ensure their policies cover what they need. Each age band was highly different in the type of surgeries or medical procedures that were most common, and knowing this information should inform your health insurance decisions.
Males between the ages of 20-30, whom Peter remarked often felt invincible and in our experience are the group that neglects health cover the most, nonetheless required claims most often for hernia repair, colonoscopy and excision of skin lesions. Women of the same age range claimed most often for freeing abdominal adhesions or ovarian cyst surgeries. These costly procedures required by people so young demonstrate the costs of being un-insured or underinsured, and we urge everyone to bear this in mind. I myself thank my lucky stars I got health insurance when I was young (or more accurately, my conscientious mother insisted on signing me up) because I've actually had to claim for a colonoscopy and a surgery, as well as many specialist visits after the age of 20 which I could never have foreseen.
It is also crucial that you think about medical insurance while you're healthy, as the presence of pre-existing conditions makes things very awkward, complicated and expensive, whilst it is clear sailing if you don't have any at the time of taking out your insurance.
Top 5 procedures, 20-29 age band
Women: Removal of teeth, endometriosis surgery, freeing abdominal adhesions, ovarian cystectomy, excision skin lesion.
Men: Removal of teeth, excision skin lesion, septoplasty, hernia repair, colonoscopy.
Top 5 procedures, 30-39
Women: Endometriosis surgery, hysterectomy, excision skin lesion, cholecystectomy, removal of teeth.
Men: Removal of teeth, colonoscopy, excision skin lesion, hernia repair, septoplasty.
Top 5 procedures, 40-49
Women: Hysterectomy, hysteroscopy, excision skin lesion, colonoscopy, endometriosis surgery.
Men: Colonoscopy, excision skin lesion, hip replacement, hernia repair, coronary angioplasty.
Top 5 procedures, 50-59
Women: Colonoscopy, hysterectomy, hip replacement, excision skin lesion, knee replacement.
Men: Hip replacement, colonoscopy, excision skin lesion, coronary angioplasty, hernia repair.
Top 5 procedures, 60-69
Women: Knee replacement, hip replacement, colonoscopy, cataract, excision skin lesion.
Men: Knee replacement, hip replacement, excision skin lesion, coronary angioplasty, colonoscopy.
Top 5 procedures, 70 plus
Women: Cataract, hip replacement, knee replacement, excision skin lesion, colonoscopy.
Men: Knee replacement, cataract, hip replacement, excision skin lesion, coronary angioplasty.
