Medibank Private spokesperson, Trish Hyde, said, "The Ombudsman, Mr John Powlay, and his team are to be congratulated for producing a report that brings together a wide range of service information."
"We were extremely pleased to be recognised as excelling in providing 'No Gap' Services to our members. It also recognised our network of contracted hospitals as the largest of any funds. Under our new contracting arrangements, we expect this to continue."
Medibank Private's 'No Gap' Services, which indicate the effectiveness of the fund's gap cover scheme, received the highest possible ranking in Victoria, Queensland, WA, Northern Territory and Tasmania. These states cover approximately two-thirds of our member base. In the other two states, we received a 'B' rating."
"Our ability for customers to get the information they need via our telephone access hours and website received an 'A' rating, placing us in the top 25% of all health funds," she said.
Ms Hyde continued, "In some circumstances, it's difficult to accurately compare product with product between different funds. For example, even though the report rated our cover for optical 'D' compared to other funds, Medibank Private actually pays around $10 more on average per member than other major health funds for optical claims."
When considering a health fund we recommend using a number of sources of information. Medibank Private members who have any questions regarding their health cover are encouraged to ring 132 331 or visit www.medibank.com.au.
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For further information, please contact:
Trish Hyde, Public Affairs Manager, Medibank Private
PH: 03 8622 5181 / 0401 987 531