More than 4000 complaints about private health insurers
Poor customer service and protracted delays in processing claims by health insurers are frustrating thousands around the nation, a report has found.
The Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman received 4,241 complaints and over 1,600 enquiries about private health insurance from 2023 to 2024.
Its 24-page State of the Health Funds Report said the number of complaints increased by nearly a quarter from the previous year.
The most common issues were about how dissatisfied consumers were with the level of customer service, the amount paid for a claim and how long that process took as well as membership problems.
BUPA and Medibank dominate over half of the market among 30 health insurers in Australia, but at a mere two per cent of the market share Defence Health was particularly called out for exasperating its policyholders
It had the dubious honour of representing nearly a third of all complaints received by the ombudsman.
A disastrous IT system overhaul in July 2023 has caused prolonged hiccups with premium payments, claim processing and transfer certificates triggered the ire of policy holders.
Despite the stuff-up, it still was among the best for retaining members at over 90 per cent along with other profession-specific insurers such as Police Health and Teachers Health.
BUPA and Medibank were also not spared scathing assessments with over a third of complaints concerning them both.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
WIRED
2 days ago
- WIRED
It's healthy to talk about health
Feature With When it comes to our health, talking and sharing can have a positive impact on our wellbeing. Bupa's new Health Stories campaign aims to encourage even the most reserved amongst us to open up. Many of us don't want to talk about our physical and mental health. But new research suggests that doing so can actually have a positive impact on our wellbeing. Bupa, the international healthcare company, is encouraging all of us to talk about our health through a new global campaign, Health Stories , which launches today. The company has created a suite of films featuring people sharing their experiences of a wide range of health conditions. By capturing these incredible voices, Bupa is breaking down the barriers of stigma and embarrassment, while also tackling the sense of isolation that individuals too often feel as they cope with a cancer diagnosis or begin therapy for a mental health condition. It's all about removing the taboos that still affect us as a society when it comes to our health. One story within the new film series sees a brave woman sharing her response when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer. Her immediate reaction was: this cannot be happening to me. Imagine how many have felt that same emotion but kept it to themselves? Another person shares their experience of being a deaf person with ADHD, which is a condition he believes has never been discussed in public before. And an amputee explains how she was able to start enjoying life again after she expressed her feelings to her prosthetist who listened and understood. Dr Mohamed Maan, Head of Clinical Operations, Bupa Global explains why this campaign can have a positive impact: 'Hearing how another person has managed a health condition can make you feel so many things—connected, empowered, supported, hopeful, a sense of relief.' Ruby Tui, 2021 Rugby World Cup champion and a mental heath advocate. New research from Bupa shows that while four in five people believe that sharing their health stories can support physical and mental health, almost half (49 percent) have avoided addressing a health concern. Yet of those who have avoided a health concern, over half (53 percent) admitted that it caused them more worry, and over a third (31 percent) felt their health worsened. The overall picture is that people really do want to talk—they just need the means and encouragement to do it. Ruby Tui is a New Zealand rugby union player who has competed internationally, won gold at the 2020 Olympics, and was a member of the Black Ferns team that triumphed in the 2021 Rugby World Cup. Through openly sharing her mental health story, she advocates for others to do the same so they can get the support and help they need: 'Through the simple task of sharing, we can open ourselves up to different perspectives, and we can empower ourselves to find solutions. I hope this campaign from Bupa sheds light on the importance of our individual health and wellness journeys and inspires more people to make their health a priority that they talk about openly and honestly.' Junior who has Crohn's disease Bupa's ambition with Health Stories is to encourage people to proactively seek the care they might need—inspired by the stories they have watched. As a result of these conversations and moving testimonies, we can all realize that there are millions of us, every day, with a health condition that doesn't need to be endured alone. A simple conversation can make a big difference. For more inspiring real-life health stories, visit
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
Workers' stress complaints drive surge in private mental health clinics
Workers complaining of stress are fuelling a boom in private mental health clinics. Bupa is to launch mental health centres across the UK to deal with an 'exponential' rise in demand from stressed workers. Its 70 'mindspace' centres will focus on corporate clients and their family members. Bupa's chief executive said businesses were crying out for more help, with sick leave rising and productivity falling. The company has seen demand for access to mental health treatments rise by 20 per cent year on year since 2020. The initiative comes as Wes Streeting launches a call for evidence, inviting individuals and organisations to offer expertise informing decision-making, ahead of the first-ever men's health strategy. The Health Secretary said men were being 'hit harder' by health problems, with suicide the leading cause of death for men under 50. Across the country, mental health claims have fuelled a surge in benefits payments post-Covid, while overall spending on working age sickness and disability benefits have risen by £20 billion. One in four pounds paid in income tax is expected to go towards sickness benefits by the end of this decade, unless the trajectory changes. On Thursday, Bupa's chief executive announced plans to launch 20 'mindspace' centres this year, starting in Guildford, Reading and Bristol – the areas identified as having the highest demand. In total, 70 such facilities will be opened by the end of 2027. Carlos Jaureguizar, the chief executive of Bupa Global, India & UK, said mental health was now one of the biggest challenges facing businesses, with the new centres aimed at providing help quickly, before individuals reach crisis point. He said: 'Since 2020, demand for mental health services has grown exponentially for the workforce and their wider family unit, particularly young people. There is an increasing need for mental health support across the UK and fast access to services has never been more important.' 'When we talk to our big corporate clients and our SMEs [small to medium sized enterprises], this trend is really impacting their employees, their capacity to work, their sick leave and the productivity of the country, so we need to do something to solve that.' He said the centres would ensure clients received fast access to face-to-face care, with a focus on prevention. The service will be offered to individual customers, as well as corporate clients, and later be made available for self-pay customers. Mr Jaureguizar said: 'Mindspace facilities will help people get fast access to face-to-face care. They reflect our commitment to prevention, identifying urgent needs amongst our customers where early intervention can lead to better health outcomes.' Last month, a report by PwC suggested that Generation Z were giving up on work, with almost four in 10 considering leaving their job and ending up on benefits. It warned that a generation of workers was now in danger of permanently drifting out of the jobs market and identified mental health conditions as a 'major driver' of youth worklessness. PwC said economic inactivity, where people are neither in work nor looking for a job, was on course to rise further, with 4.4 million workers – one in 10 of the overall workforce – now 'on the brink of leaving the labour market'. In a stark warning, the Big Four accountancy firm, which employs roughly 26,000 people in the UK, also said many employers were wary of taking on people who had been out of work for an extended period. Research by benefits provider Unum suggests that one in three UK employees experience some form of mental health concern annually, with a quarter saying their mental wellbeing has worsened in the past year. Meanwhile, analysis by accounting firm Deloitte found that mental health problems are costing UK companies £51 billion each year. It also noted that while cost of living, job security and personal or family finances were top priorities among working adults, children's mental health was one of the greatest concerns for almost half of working parents. The centres will be accessible to Bupa's four million UK insurance customers, many of whom have corporate accounts. The mindspace facilities will offer access to face-to-face talking therapies, including counselling, psychology, psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy. Mindspace facilities will become available to self-pay customers shortly after. A survey this year found that one in three young workers have taken sick days because of mental health issues triggered by stress. Some 35 per cent of employees aged 18 to 24 reported feeling so unwell as a result of stress that they had to take time off from work last year, according to charity Mental Health UK. On Thursday, Mr Streeting will promise action to prevent and tackle the biggest health problems facing men, and to 'close the life-expectancy gap', which sees men die almost four years earlier than women on average. 'Every day, men across England are dying early from preventable causes. Men are hit harder by a range of conditions, while tragically suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50. 'Our Plan For Change means we will tackle these issues head on through a men's health strategy, and today's call for evidence is the crucial next step in understanding what works, what doesn't, and how we can design services men will actually use,' he said, urging the public to share their views. The call for evidence will be open for 12 weeks on the Department of Health and Social Care website. Amy O'Connor, from the men's health charity Movember, said: 'Too many men are dying too young. The men's health strategy is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in positive change for men and their loved ones. Julie Bentley, the chief executive of Samaritans, said: 'Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50 so it's critical that suicide prevention is front and centre of this strategy. With men making up 75 per cent of all suicides, this strategy is a real opportunity to prevent thousands of deaths.' Earlier this year, Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, rejected the suggestion that a 'minister for men' was needed after calls were made for a government position specifically addressing issues such as behaviour, education and poor mental health. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Bloomberg
23-04-2025
- Bloomberg
Bupa to Open 200 Mental Health Clinics to Tap Rising Demand for Therapy
Private health-care company Bupa is opening 200 mental health clinics, as the insurer seeks to tap into rising demand for therapy. The UK-based company will initially launch the outpatient facilities in Britain, Spain and Australia before expanding into other countries through 2027. The sites will have both in-person and virtual operations. Financial details were not disclosed.
