Can Somebody Explain What Private Health Funds Pharmacy Saver Is?

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  DashCam AKA Rolts on 25/03/2024 - 22:14

  +3

  Pharmacy Saver gives discounts on non-prescription purchases, at National pharmacy stores. Have had it and dropped it as we found National pharmacy stores more expensive, even on prescriptions. (Our scripts tend to be cheaper at a certain Warehouse.

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  RefusdClassification on 25/03/2024 - 23:06

  +1

  It would be nice if there was a plan that would give you discounts on non-PBS prescriptions (eg 'medical' hashish, sleeping pills). In Germany you used to pay 15 Euros ever 3 months and get unlimited pharmaceuticals for those 3 months; perhaps they still have this system.

  • 

    m1108 on 26/03/2024 - 10:10

    Some private health extras policies do cover a small part of the cost of non pbs for ‘medical’ 🍃

    • 

      hasher22 on 26/03/2024 - 13:43

      Sucks that HCF doesn't really do it and I am on the top extras. I had to get prescription ear medicine and that cost me $45 which the rep in the chemist said it's private and it's full price. Tried to claim it through HCF and hopefully, at least get a bit back, and they rejected it due to it's not in the list of PBS prescriptions

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  Drakesy on 26/03/2024 - 11:15

  A waste of money.

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  hasher22 on 26/03/2024 - 13:47

  Each health fund is different in what they cover under "pharmacy"

  Read about The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), basically PBS are prescription medicine at a subsidised price by the gov.

  Also the health fund will not list all the medicine that may be claimable under their policy of pharmacy. So it's a hit and miss when or if you try claim medicine with any health fund.

  Basically, it's just another claimable category which is vague and has alot of case-by-case claim basis towards each medicine.

  Does it mean: if you are not eligible for a CONCESSION PBS PRICE $7.7, you can get cheaper drugs by joining this kind of private health funds Pharmacy Saver extra?

  Maybe yes, maybe no. Depends on the health fund. If you're already paying PSB price (non concession) and if people with concession can get a further discount, that's totally different from claiming the difference with a health fund. Your health fund determines what medicine and how much you get back per claim.

  Not that simple as buying a prescription medicine and claim, the policy makes it difficult to know which ones are included. Furthermore, even if you do know what medicines are included, the claim prob not worth it as I remember years and years ago, I am with HCF, I claimed some prescription medicine and I am on the top cover and I got like $4 back where my Pharmacy cover allows up to $150 per year depending on the medicine.

  But I tried it with another prescription this year and I got $0