Cancelling ahm health insurance after claiming all extras in the first week. Is it possible?

LELaw on 25/01/2017 - 11:44

Hi,

I see on ahm health insurance website that they will waive the waiting period of 2 and 6 months if join before the end of January.

So if I join now and spend up to the limit on dental, glasses, massage, etc in the first week, and then cancel it in the second week, I will be paying only around $20 and have up to $900 to spend on those extras.

Sounds too good to be true but I can't find anything in their terms and condition to stop me from doing so.

Will it really works? Or did I overlook something?

Here's the link for the offer:
https://ahm.com.au/terms-and-conditions/january-offer

Thanks.

Financial

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Comments

  • Glider on 25/01/2017 - 11:48
    +1

    From looking at the AHM website they cover 60% of expenses for those items where you go to one of their recognised providers. So remember that you will need to pay the other 40% for any of the services used.

  • Nugs on 25/01/2017 - 12:07
    +1

    that would be a busy week

  • k-rokfm on 25/01/2017 - 12:08

    Surely they would have a contract period ? (eg. like a phone contract) for a minimum of 12 months? I cant see anything on the forms so i may be wrong?

    • ELaw on 25/01/2017 - 13:18

      I've just asked ahm, there's no contract period and can cancel anytime.

  • mbck on 25/01/2017 - 12:42
    +1

    you can only use it on one type of provider each day. Eg, only one physio each day. So it's quite hard to use all that up wihtin the one week. Still, even if it was possible…interesting. I'm sure there's something missing there…

  • John Kimble on 25/01/2017 - 12:48

    At a guess I don't see why not, would be similar to people signing up for the $250 back for the CBA card and cancelling once you get it… Which I did successfully recently.

    Perhaps call AHM and ask… Obviously not giving them any specifics to identify you.

  • CyberMurning on 25/01/2017 - 13:05

    i think possible, but the next provider you are joining with will see those records and you might get zero from them for that year. well unless you dont join any other provider till next january 2018

    • ELaw on 25/01/2017 - 13:12

      Why's that? Is it kind of double claiming?

      • SnoozeAndLose on 25/01/2017 - 13:24

        because your claim record will share for all private health insurances and if you have the higher claim allowance then the amount that you use just get deduced.

        • ELaw on 25/01/2017 - 13:34

          So does it means if I joined both medibank and ahm, and I claimed $200 for glasses from medibank, the $200 will be deducted from the claim allowance of ahm as well?

        • SnoozeAndLose on 25/01/2017 - 13:38

          @eyeball:

          Correct. You shouldn't join more than one private health insurance provider as anyone time expect you can make them cover different things.

        • ELaw on 25/01/2017 - 13:44

          I understand now. Thank you.

        • John Kimble on 25/01/2017 - 14:10

          @LoveBargain15: apparently you can't have the same cover from two places at once anyway.

        • dashy1 on 26/01/2017 - 08:36
          +1

          @LoveBargain15:

          Not true - I switched from Bupa to Medibank late last year (medibank was far cheaper for similar cover and offered waiver on 2 and 6 month waiting periods + a $200 coles voucher) and double dipped on glasses for the kids, and massages as well :)

          I did not disclose to Medibank that I previously held cover with Bupa. If you do disclose that you previously held cover the new provder asks for a certificate from your previous provider and will recognise your length of membership and your claim record.

        • squeeb on 26/01/2017 - 09:56

          @dashy1:
          If you do not disclose your previous cover, then I would have thought that loading would apply to the hospital premium. Unless you are under 30 years old.

        • John Kimble on 26/01/2017 - 17:58

          @squeeb: Yes, but this thread appears to be talking only about extras

        • squeeb on 26/01/2017 - 19:24

          @John Kimble:
          I was assuming that to be eligible for the gift voucher, a combined hospital and extras package was taken up.

  • JimB on 25/01/2017 - 14:47
    +2

    You probably can but it's a scumbag thing to do as you're making everyone else with AHM pay for your claims.

    I question why I have Private Health Insurance at the best of times, seeing posts like these reinforces my plans to cancel my cover.

    • laowiseass on 25/01/2017 - 14:52

      or you could do the same thing? If the insurance company offers a no wait period on claims then there is no reason that you wouldn't be able to. I've done this before - get private health a week before the end of the year, get glasses, and then the glasses limit is refreshed in January.

      • JimB on 25/01/2017 - 15:10
        +1

        I could, by my conscience won't allow me to.

        I have no issues with claiming glasses in Dec and Jan as long as you retain the insurance for the rest of the year.

  • jimbobaus on 25/01/2017 - 15:03
    +2

    Just so you know, my housemate canceled his PHI with AHM a month after getting it,(he lost his job suddenly and could no longer afford it) he had paid for a month but had also claimed his glasses on his extras. when he rang to cancel they advised him he needed to re-pay the benefits he had been paid (in this case it was around $240) as they advised although there was no waiting period it was in the terms that if you claimed and canceled within 3 months of the claim they could recover any benefits paid.

    in the end he sucked it up and paid for the next 3 months of cover rather than pay out the $249, he had combined cover and was paying around $75 a month.

    also FYI waiting periods on extras are ONLY waived when you take combined cover, so it would not be $20 for the month, more likley $60+
    SEE THIS Term:

    Waiving of 2 & 6 month waiting periods apply to included extras as part of any of ahm’s black+white packages, and black extras when combined with any ahm hospital cover (Eligible Policies). 2 & 6 month waiting periods do not apply on other dual cover products.

    And:
    Not available for hospital only or extras only policies.

    • ELaw on 25/01/2017 - 15:13

      Thanks for your information. Let me go through the terms again.
      And $20 I talked about is premium for a week, as it is an option to pay weekly.

  • Kelly Schoers on 19/11/2018 - 21:51

    So I have a question. Im with AHM. Just got glasses only got 200 back on them but they were more than that. I paid the gap. Can I now up my cover and claim back what I paid out of pocket? This was today I got them.

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