Ramsay Newsroom

Ramsay announced last month that it didn’t reach a new agreement with Bupa, after the health insurer offered to pay benefits which would undermine Ramsay’s ability to provide top quality care to its patients.

Ramsay Australia CEO, Carmel Monaghan, said private hospitals were experiencing significant cost increases and if Bupa doesn’t cover these costs for their members those people may have to cover these costs themselves.

“Bupa’s offered rate of indexation is well below inflation and well below what our hard-working staff deserve in terms of wage increases. What Bupa has offered does not address the cost increases hospitals have experienced in recent years to protect our patients and health care workers,” Ms Monaghan said.

“While private hospitals have been purchasing PPE, increasing cleaning, and providing additional infection prevention training to health care workers, private health insurers accumulated $2 billion in profits.

“Unless benefits paid by Bupa increase to cover Ramsay’s increased costs of delivering care, additional out-of-pocket costs will apply to Bupa-insured patients.”

“Another option available to them is to consider switching insurance providers, as Ramsay has agreements with all other private health funds in Australia.”

Consumers changing funds won’t have to re-serve the normal waiting periods again if retaining the same level of cover. More information is available in the Ombudsman’s Right to Change brochure.

Ms Monaghan said she was disappointed to have not reached an agreement with Bupa, particularly given agreements had been reached with all other health funds in recent times.

“We understand that like our hospitals, individuals are facing huge cost of living increases right now so we’re disappointed Bupa patients could be further out of pocket,” she said.

“Our approach has always been centred on ‘people caring for people’ – we always put the patient first and we still hope to reach agreement with Bupa prior to the contract termination date to avoid any additional costs being passed on to patients.”

For more information, visit www.protectyourcover.com.au.