Phoenix Health have reached a new agreement with Adventist Healthcare Limited effective 1 June 2022. This means that we will continue to have agreements with the Sydney Adventist Hospital (SAH/San) and Sydney Day Surgery Hornsby (SDSH) and Phoenix Health members can continue to claim as they have been previously.
Why was the agreement ending?
As a part of our commitment to providing you with access to quality and affordable health insurance, every now and then we need to review the contracts we have in place with hospitals to ensure your cover is always the best value for your money.
At Phoenix Health, we’re represented by the Australian Health Service Alliance (AHSA), who negotiate hospital contracts and increases with the more than 550 private hospitals we have agreements with around Australia, on our behalf. When reviewing and negotiating contracts with hospitals, we take into consideration how the loss of a hospital agreement will affect our members and their wellbeing, as well as what impact any hospital fee increases will have on your member premiums.
Unfortunately, in January we were unable to reach an agreement with the Adventist Health Care Limited on a fee increase that we see as both reasonable and fair in time for our contact to continue without a break.
At this time we wrote to you to let you know that our agreement was ending and how we planned to continue to support members who were planning admissions or already receiving treatment at either hospital.
What does this mean for me?
We committed to honouring any claims received from members for treatment at either the SAH or SDSH up until 30 June 2022 at the level of cover they held at 17 January 2022. As we’ve now reached a new agreement, there will be no interruption to the way Phoenix Health member can claim benefits at either hospital.
I’m planning a hospital admission at the SAH/SDSH, is there anything I need to do?
As with any hospital admission, we recommend reaching out the Phoenix Health team so we can confirm your cover, any excess that may apply and guide you through the process to help minimise any out-of-pocket expenses and let you focus on what’s important, your recovery.
What about if I’ve switched doctors or hospitals because the agreement was ending?
If you would like to switch back to the doctor or hospital you were seeing before we wrote to you in January we recommend speaking with both your treating and previous doctors to ensure the best course of treatment for you and then confirming your cover with us so there’s no surprises when it comes to out-of-pocket expenses.
I moved health funds so that I could still be covered at these hospitals, can I switch back to Phoenix Health?
Yes! If you moved health funds to a fund that still had an agreement with Adventist Healthcare Limited between 17 January and 1 June 2022, we will waive any waiting periods when you transfer back to Phoenix Health before 31 July 2022 on your previous level of cover.
Where can I find read more about the information you sent out in January?
We sent you a notification via your preferred communication channel (email or post) in January to give you an update on the pending changes that were also communicated on this page. If you would like a copy of the communication please reach out to our Member Service team.
Still have questions?
We want you to know that your health and wellbeing are always our priority, and we want you to feel confident in your cover and benefits.
Health insurance and going to hospital can be confusing – but we’re here to help so you can focus on what’s important… you! If you’re planning a hospital admission or have any questions about Phoenix Health’s agreements with participating hospitals, please reach out to our team on 1800 028 817 or email us at [email protected] – we’re here for you.