High blood pressure: how health cover can help

High blood pressure is also known as hypertension. It usually has no symptoms, so the only way to find out if you have it is to get regular checks from your doctor. When your blood pressure stays high over time, it can possibly lead to serious health problems such as heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and kidney failure.

The good news is, adopting a healthy lifestyle can often help both treat and prevent high blood pressure. And if you have private health insurance, there are many ways your cover can help.

Here are some tips for managing high blood pressure--and how Medibank might be able to help.

Visit your GP

Your first stop should be your doctor. There are usually no symptoms associated with high blood pressure, so it’s important to get it checked regularly. If your reading is persistently high, it’s time to get it under control.

Look at your diet

Following a healthy diet and eating enough fresh fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products is key to helping you manage your blood pressure. It’s also important to limit your salt intake, so try to avoid processed and packaged foods. If you would like to improve your diet, you might like to see a dietitian. A dietitian can prescribe tailored nutrition advice for your condition. And if you have Extras cover with Medibank, you may be able to claim benefits towards consultations with a dietitian: check your cover summary to see if you can claim towards dietetics.

You can also visit Medibank’s Live Better for lots of expert healthy eating advice and delicious healthy recipe ideas.

Get moving

Being physically active can help manage blood pressure and can have profound benefits to your overall health. If you’re looking for fun social events to get your body moving, check out Medibank’s Live Better activities. Medibank members can also get access to our Member Offers for great deals such as discounted gym entry and discounts on fitness and sports products.

Expert health advice

If you have any questions about your health or need further advice on managing your blood pressure, Medibank members with health insurance can chat to a registered nurse with 24/7 Medibank Nurse Support at no extra cost.^~ Call 1800 644 325 or log in to chat now.

If you need to go to hospital

If you end up going to hospital for surgery or a procedure, make sure you’re fully informed before you go.

Before you commit to a specialist or procedure, ask your doctor any questions you might have. And if you’re a Medibank member, it’s always a good idea to call us on 132 331 to check whether the procedure is included in your level of cover. We can help you understand what out-of-pocket costs you are likely to encounter, and what you can expect from your hospital stay. If you decide to go ahead with the procedure, contact us early to make sure you receive all the benefits and access the health support services that go with your Medibank membership.

Medibank’s Hospital Assist is also a valuable resource to prepare you for your hospital admission and provide support afterwards. You can look up what you might pay out-of-pocket for certain procedures and how health insurance could help manage the costs using our interactive tool. And you can get lots of practical information and advice from our going to hospital guide.

For more information, or to check that you have appropriate cover for your needs, talk to our team on 134 190 or chat to our friendly staff online 24/7 for advice and help with your health cover.