CUA Health delays premium increase as part of COVID-19 support package

CUA Health CEO Steve Chugg said the insurer had moved swiftly to implement the changes needed to defer the 2020 round of premium increases until 1 October 2020.

“CUA Health welcomes the announcement of our industry body Private Healthcare Australia yesterday that health funds should defer implementing the premium changes for at least six months,” Mr Chugg said.

“This decision will help ease the financial pressure on almost 80,000 Australians who are insured with CUA Health, to allow them to focus on their most immediate financial needs and looking after their families during this challenging period.”

Members do not need to do anything to take advantage of the delay to premium increases – CUA Health will make the necessary updates to ensure premiums remain unchanged on 1 April.

CUA Health has also confirmed that for members with extras cover, it will pay benefits for consultations provided by phone or video across a range of allied health practitioners. CUA Health will allow members to claim on telehealth consultations for psychology, as well as six additional telehealth services, until 30 September 2020.

“Members with extras cover will now be able to claim on psychology, speech pathology, dietetic advice including nutritionists, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, exercise physiology and podiatry consultations provided by phone or video over the next six months¹,” Mr Chugg said.

“This is a great win for our health insurance members and will allow them to continue to access services remotely that will assist them to look after their health and wellbeing during this time.”

Mr Chugg said deferring the changes to premiums and paying benefits on telehealth consultations is part of a package of measures being offered to CUA Health members to support them through the current situation.

“Last week, we announced a number of other ways that we will support our CUA Health members, as part of the CUA Financial Assistance Package being offered to members across our health insurance and our banking businesses,” he said.

“Around half of our health insurance members also have their banking with CUA and will benefit from being able to access this broader package of support.”

The other assistance available to CUA Health members includes:

• CUA Health policy-holders experiencing financial difficulty or a loss of income as a result of COVID-19 can suspend their policy and premium payments for three months by phoning CUA Health. If members require hospital treatment during the period of the suspension, they can contact CUA Health to reactivate their policy.
• For the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, CUA Health will cover members for all in-hospital COVID-19 treatment irrespective of their level of hospital cover, provided they have held the CUA Health hospital policy for at least two months.

“CUA Health has been here for our members for more than 40 years through the highs and the lows, and we will continue to make our members our absolute priority as we face into an uncertain and changing situation,” Mr Chugg said.

For questions on CUA Health support for members impacted by COVID-19, members can phone 1300 499 260. Or for more information on CUA’s Financial Assistance Package visit www.cua.com.au/covid19.

1. Benefits for phone and video consultations will be available where the member’s Extras policy already covered this type of service, provided the member has served any applicable waiting period.