We should be thankful private patients opt for the public system otherwise hospitals would have less money to buy necessary medical equipment etc!

_Anne-maree

As private patients in a public hospital, the government bills our health insurance fund for our stay. Also not all procedures are done in a private hospital.

_Margie

I'm in a health fund and had to have hip replacement done and waited a year simply because I didn't have it covered originally so when I went to organise it it as classified as a pre-existing condition.

But I'm paying for my private health so if that gets me in quicker what's wrong with that and if I go to a public hospital so be it and now it's changed so that I will have to pay a gap for the public hospital bed as many of them charge a lot more than the private hospitals.

_Gaeline

I pay an absolute fortune in private health care for this reason. Had to be on waiting list for surgery a decade ago which took 18 months. So now I pay the price tag in case that happens to me again.

_Katie

Medical treatment should be provided based on need.

_Emily

We pay the price to be in a private fund, $6000 per year so I would expect to jump a queue, also we still have to cover additional expenses such as all gap fees, those with no insurance pay nothing at all - go figure!

_Carole

What's the legislation in regards to this? Not the private health insurance priorities but the actual health system legislations. Which should be followed within the procedures?

_Jamie

If you pay private insurance you should be treated in the private hospitals. Isn't that the idea? Public hospital are for the people who can't afford private hospitals. At the end $$$$$ talks.

_Mare

If I could get treated straight away why would I have private cover?

Seriously people can't be surprised by this?

_Glen

You go to Disneyland or Hollywood and can pay extra money to go to the front of the queue. Why should health insurance be any different.

_Alan

That is why I pay private as a pensioner so my husband and I don't have to wait and have our own doctor. I have a friend who waited two years to have a knee replacement when she wasn't able to mobilise.

I waited 30 days.

_Susan

And that's the way it should be. I have paid private health cover for years and expect to get an operation way faster then someone who doesn't.

_Raelene