Search, find and save when booking your next health practitioner

COMPARING the cost of health practitioners around the country will soon be available making it easier to understand your out-of-pocket health costs.

THE painstaking process of finding a health practitioner and then calculating the out-of-pocket costs is a sore point for many insurance members.

The individual variance in costs between health practitioners and the complexity of rebates and exceeding caps has made it difficult for consumers to understand what they will end up spending.

Health insurance members are often left unsure of what rebate they will receive after an appointment.

But one of the nation’s largest insurers, Medibank, is the first to insurer to have access to the

new app, HICAPS Go, which could be better described as the Uber of healthcare.

It makes it easier for consumers to find a health practitioner, get a quote, book and pay all in the one spot.

Customers can find what each practitioner charges and know exactly the amount of money they will receive back.

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The technology has been rolled out in Victoria first with a goal of a widespread rollout nationally across all insurers by next year.

Medibank’s chief customer officer David Koczkar said the new technology should make what is a complicated health system a simplified experience for consumers.

Medibank’s David Koczkar said the new technology will be more transparent for consumers.

“By the time our customers get a referral or a recommendation from a friend it may be too hard to get another quote or investigate other providers,’’ he said.

“Health is complicated and we are trying to simplify the experience.

“I think we are not too far away from having a simple two or three step process to solve customers’ needs which includes what you are covered for, what your limit is and what your quote is going to be and you can make the booking.”

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Mr Koczkar said consumers getting dental and physio treatments can sometimes make savings between 15 and 30 per cent by choosing a more cost-effective provider.

The cost of visiting a physiotherapist can vary significantly so consumers need to shop around.

HICAPS Go has more than 400 practitioners using the platform, focusing on physiotherapists, chiropractors, myotherapists and osteopaths across Melbourne.

NAB’s general manager of health Cameron Fuller said the new technology made it simple for a consumer “to locate a practitioner within their area.”

“It helps them understand the cost of the appointment and the out-of-pocket costs to the consumer as well as the rebate their health fund will be providing them,’’ he said.

@sophieelsworth

Originally published as Search, find and save when booking your next health practitioner