Living Healthy Magazine February 2012

Page 1

FEBRUARY 2012

living healthy Queensland Country Health Fund Member Newsletter ed.7

BETTER VALUE

Dental and Optical Services STRIVE FOR HEALTH

Home Support Services THE HEALTH FUND IS EXPANDING

Northand South! NEW HEAD

Office

beter heal cover shouldn’t hurt

FROM THE

General Manager HEALTH FUND

Economic reports being published at the moment in the media are

The Federal Government continues to discuss the means testing

consistent in their prediction of worsening economic conditions

of the 30% rebate for health insurance and seek support for the

in Australia in 2012, albeit with some possible relief coming from

proposed legislation with independent Ministers. It is expected that

decreasing interest rates at least for mortgage holders. This is often

the Private Health Insurance bill will be entered into parliament for

a time when people will review their expenses to look for savings

debate this year. The progress of this legislation is being watched

which includes health insurance, and we have certainly been having

I’m sure by many Australians as, if successful will result in reduced

lots of conversations with members of other health funds as they

rebates for higher income earners. It is also likely to result in some

consider transferring to Queensland Country to save some money.

people dropping out of health insurance which will increase pressure

Our membership growth as a percentage, over the past 6 months

on the public hospital system.

has been more than twice the growth achieved in the health

An area of health insurance that we have been working on over

insurance industry, as more people become aware of the great value

the last six months is developing arrangements with dentists and

offered by Queensland Country. It’s also a time when peace of mind

optometrists to provide lower cost services to our Members to

is more important than ever as the Government looks for ways to

reduce out of pocket expenses. We already have agreements in

reduce expenditure. Unfortunately, that sometimes comes at the

place with a number of optical providers (details can be found on

expense of the public hospital system, resulting in further delays for

our website) and have recently progressed with an agreement with

elective treatments.

Teachers Union Health in Brisbane to provide dental and optical

As well as maintaining our focus on providing great value health insurance, we have been looking at other ways of delivering improve health outcomes.

services to our Members. We will continue to look for opportunities to reduce dental and other ancillary services costs in our other locations and provide Members with these details as they become available. Thanks for your ongoing support of the Fund and I hope everyone has a prosperous 2012.

A new initiative that we have introduced in partnership with Home Support Services is a telephonic chronic disease management program. This program is designed to help support those Members with chronic disease, which includes heart disease, diabetes and mental illness to help manage their illness and improve their quality

Aaron Newman

of life. Health professionals make regular calls to Members in the

General Manager

program to provide skills, education and techniques to help manage

Queensland Country Health Fund

the illness. Further information is included in the magazine and there

Ph. 4750 3300

is no additional cost to Members. If you believe you could beneďŹ t

Em. anewman@qccu.com.au

from the program I would encourage you to contact us to discuss it.

S R NE N WI

HICAPS COMPETITION During the month of October 2011, we ran a competition in conjunction with HICAPS, for a $500 gift card. Open to all our Members with Extras cover, you automatically went into the draw if you used your Membership card in October. The lucky winners of our competition were Paul from Annandale, Deanne from Budgee, and Greg in Dolphin Heads. Congratulations to our winners, and make sure you look out for our next competition!

2 Queensland Country Health Fund | February 2012

4

Did You Know? PHARMACY CLAIMS Each year the Government sets the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for pharmacy items. This year the amount is $35.40. This means that if you have Extras cover with us and you’re purchasing scripted pharmaceuticals* that exceed this amount, we may be able to pay a benefit towards it. Pharmacy items must be scripted, dispensed from a pharmacy, or Doctors rooms, accompanied by an official pharmacy receipt and over the PBS amount. We pay benefits from $35.40. This means you will always pay the first $35.40. For example, if you have a script for Aqueous Nasal Spray priced at $44.50, we will pay $8.80. If you have Premium Extras you can claim up to $50 above the $35.40, and on Essential Extras you can claim up to $30 above the $35.40. Sub-limits do apply. For further information, please contact us at info@qchfund.com.au or 1800 813 415.

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*Contraceptives are not claimable unless they meet specific requirements, please contact us for further details.

MEMBER BENEFIT STATEMENTS We have received a number of calls from our Members wanting a copy of their claims from the last financial year. Please be advised that we can supply these statements but they will only show the claims PAID in the last financial year, not all claims submitted. Hence, if you have waited to submit claims until this financial year, they will not show as the claims paid in the last financial year. Queensland Country Health Fund will also send any Members who have had medical and hospital treatment in the last month a statement of claims paid on your behalf. These are not a bill, but merely a record of benefits paid for

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your recent hospital stay, and/or medical procedure. Also due to privacy laws, we cannot release statements for Members who are over 16 years of age, even your dependent children, unless they request the information themselves.

CONTRIBUTION (PREMIUM) NOTICES If you have an email address recorded with us and have chosen to receive an invoice for your premium, it may have been emailed to you. In an attempt to streamline our billing process, and leave less of a carbon footprint, we have been emailing these notices over the last few months. You may have received an email from us with your billing notice! If you have an email address on file that may not be correct, or you would like to continue receiving a paper notice, then please let us know on 1800 813 415 or via email info@qchfund.com.au. You can also update your details online via our web services.

BETTER VALUE

Dental and Optical Services Queensland Country has recently established an agreement with

The health care centre is situated at 438 St Paul’s Terrace Fortitude

Teachers Union Health (TUH) in Brisbane to enable our Members to

Valley, Brisbane. These services are available to all Members.

access their health care centre. The health care centre offers a long

Queensland Country is committed to looking for ways to provide

established and professional dental practice and optical centre, along

more cost effective dental, optical and other ancillary services

with physiotherapy, remedial massage, acupuncture and podiatry, and

and we will provide updates as these types of arrangements

these services will now be available to our Members from the 1st

are established.

March this year. The services are very well priced and are likely to provide reduced out of pocket expenses for Members. February 2012 | Queensland Country Health Fund 3

THE HEALTH FUND IS EXPANDING

North and South! Meet Lauren Queensland Country Health Fund would like to introduce you to Lauren Hull, our new Business Development Manager based in Cairns. Lauren will be developing our corporate health strategy, working with employers in Cairns and other regional centres across the state to offer corporate packages for their staff. If you are interested in learning more about our Corporate Packages, please contact Lauren on 0417 622 856 or via email on lhull@qccu.com.au

Meet Fiona As part of our ongoing commitment to bring our services to regional areas, we have recently established a service centre in Gladstone. Fiona is our Health Fund representative, and is ready to assist you with any of your health fund questions or queries. The branch is located in the Gladstone Shopping Centre, 44-55 Dawson Road. Pop in and say hi to Fiona and the rest of the Queensland Country Team!

TENS MACHINE VS CIRCULATION BOOSTER

wide range of fields. Unfortunately, there is insufficient evidence to prove that a circulation booster provides the same level of therapy or pain relief as a TENS machine, hence why we will only provide

If you have Private Hospital cover with us we pay benefits towards a

benefits towards the TENS machine.

range of mechanical aids and appliances to assist with recovery and to help maintain your health. We provide an excellent benefit of up

There is an extensive list of aids and appliances that we do cover,

to 85% of the cost of the approved mechanical appliance or artificial

therefore it is always best to contact us if you have something

aid with a membership year limit of $2000 per person covered. This

specific in mind.

is paid on items that are medically necessary.

As there are conditions involved in paying on these type of benefits,

TENS machines are payable under this benefit, however, we do not

we recommend you contact us on 1800 813 415 if you’re unsure of

provide benefits towards a circulation booster.

what you’re entitled to, or if you can claim on a particular item.

TENS Machines are for the relief and treatment of acute or chronic pain, and have been endorsed by Medical professionals across a

4 Queensland Country Health Fund | February 2012

WHY DETOX WHEN

Lauren Nugent

you can Antiox?

Eat Smart Nutrition Consultant

The month or more of Christmas over-indulgence has now passed

decreases in ageing factors, some cancers and levels of oxidative

and many people are looking to a detox program to spike their

damage within the body. All the research on consuming more

energy levels, clear their digestive system, detox their liver, lose a few

antioxidants through food however, is very consistent – no increased

kilos and espouse their guilt! The downside (and there is always a

harm but many, many benefits! If you consider the high antioxidant

downside!) of every detox program is the restrictive diet or numerous

foods listed above these are generally very healthy foods, which

pills or shakes to be taken, headaches, the need for a close lavatory

should be eaten daily, except chocolate and wine!

and generally feeling like you’ve been hit by a bus for the first few days. So what if there was a way to by-pass the first few days of feeling rubbish and skip to the light, bright, energetic, slimmer, glowing you?

So should I start that detox or eat more antioxidants? Definitely eat more antioxidants! Not only is it tastier and includes many everyday foods negating the need for a special diet but it’s more sustainable for better long term health. By including more

Detox diets are only successful for the time that you follow

antioxidant rich foods you can expect to feel more vibrant, energetic,

them which often means a lot of pain for only a short-term gain!

lose weight if this is required and feel good knowing you are

Increasing the anti-oxidants in your diet can be an easy and

combating those free radicals of daily life!

sustainable solution to feeling great, most of the time!

Here’s an example antioxidant rich meal plan to

So what are these antioxidants I hear you say? The effects

get you started:

of modern day life such as stress, poor sleep, pollution, drinking

BF Untoasted muesli with fresh or dried fruit &

too much alcohol, staying in the sun too long, smoking or even healthy behaviours such as exercise can cause oxidative or free radical damage. Antioxidants stabilize these free radicals to prevent disease, damage or ill-health occurring within the body

a few nuts with low fat milk MT Low fat yoghurt with berries and a sprinkle of seeds L

Wholegrain sandwich with tuna or salmon and salad

from the oxidative free radicals. Oxidative damage has been linked

AT Veggie sticks & a few wholegrain crackers with hommous

to diseases such as arthritis, aging, degeneration of the eye lens,

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damage to the nerve cells in the brain, some cancers, heart disease and liver disease.

Antioxidants are found in nutrition powerhouse foods, some of which may surprise you!

Lean beef stir-fry with plenty of onion, garlic, broccoli, red capsicum, Chinese cabbage or greens etc

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A few squares of dark chocolate or a small glass of wine!

Many antioxidant rich foods are also rich in other nutrients to promote good health. Most of the foods listed are low in GI to give you long-lasting energy and fullness, are high in fibre for good bowel health, many are low in calories that can assist with weight loss and

What about antioxidant supplements, they should be good

some include good fats such as omega 3 fatty acids. So harness

then shouldn’t they? The research on increasing your antioxidant

your antioxidant power today!

intake with a high potent supplement is concerning at best. Some studies showed an increase in cancer rates and some even showed an increase in death rates! There are however studies showing

February 2012 | Queensland Country Health Fund 5

We want to make our fund as accessible as possible, and what better way than online! If you’re on Facebook, you can now find us and “like” us. Find our page by searching Queensland Country Health Fund. We’ll be posting all sorts of things relating to health, health insurance news, recipes. Let us know by posting on our page what you would like to see! We’re also in the process of upgrading our website, which will go live over the coming months. This will incorporate a more user friendly online service for all of our Members. The website is a great place to look if you need forms, would like to check on affiliated hospitals, book our units in Brisbane or Townsville, and just review your cover. If you’re already registered for web services, there is no need to re-register. We look forward to interacting with all our Members online! www.facebook.com/qldcountryhealth 453*7&

'03

Health

STRIVE FOR HEALTH

Home Support Services

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At Queensland Country Health Fund, we care about more than just health insurance. We care about you, your health and your family’s health. That’s why we have implemented a program that will offer you a range of services that will assist you to manage your health.

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These services include: A Wellness and Prevention Web Portal Telephonic Disease Management with a range of health professionals

Offered to all Member’s with hospital cover at no extra cost, Strive for Health is a range of health support services that can help improve your lifestyle to avoid chronic disease and provide support and assistance to help manage and overcome chronic disease. Through

Home Based Care, Telephonic and Home Monitoring for Chronic Disease Acute Home Care Program – following a hospital stay

the unique web portal, and the team of allied health professionals, registered nurses, domestics and personal carers at Home Support Services, we can help your transition from hospital to home, manage your chronic disease more successfully, and provide support when you need it. With “Strive for Health” and Home Support Services you will be able to access expert advice, care, support and information. There is also a 24 hour contact number available for emergency questions.

Queensland Country Health Fund has worked together with Home Support Services to develop a range of services to help Members recover from a hospital stay, manage their chronic disease, and provide support to get their health and wellbeing back on track. If you think you may benefit from a program that can provide support and assistance to better live with and manage chronic disease which includes heart disease, diabetes and mental illness please contact us on info@qchfund.com.au or call 1800 813 415 and we can discuss your suitability for the program.

6 Queensland Country Health Fund | February 2012

MCILLWRAITH UNITS

Brisbane As a result of devastating floods in much of Southern Queensland in early 2011, our Member accommodation at McIllwraith on the Park, suffered extensive damage. All 3 ground floor units were significantly damaged, with water levels coming within 30cm of the ceiling. After a lengthy ‘dry out’ period, work commenced to get the Units habitable for our Member’s again. Many trades people were overwhelmed as South East Queensland suffered over $35 billion in damage as a result of the floods. Progress was slow going. Fortunately our upper floor units were unaffected and we were able to supply some relief to Member’s travelling to Brisbane for medical treatment. We would like to thank all our Members for their patience, all 6 units are now operational at McIllwraith on the Park. If you would like to book the units, please drop us a line on info@qchfund.com.au or call 1800 813 415.

February 2012 | Queensland Country Health Fund 7

NEW HEAD

Office Queensland Country is moving… across the street! Our Townsville Head Office, Call Centre and Administration Centre are located on Ross River Road, with the Credit Union’s Head Office backing onto Patrick Street, and we’re growing rapidly. To keep up with our expanding support staff, we are relocating to a new prime position on the corner of Ross River Road and Nathan Street in Aitkenvale Townsville. Below is the artist’s impression of what our new headquarters will look like. We will keep you posted with our progress.

As Australia’s number one activewear label for women, here at Lorna Jane we believe A w we have a responsibility to help empower all women and assist them in achieving the life th they deserve. We do this by encouraging all women to live a healthy and active lifestyle. O Our clothes are a tool that we use to motivate and inspire women to be the best version of themselves through living actively. Our Founder and Creative Director, Lorna Jane C Clarkson, lives her life by a three pillar philosophy of Move, Nourish, and Believe – she pr promises to move her body everyday, nourish from the inside out, and believe anything is po possible. This philosophy has been harnessed within the Lorna Jane business and it is these th three principles which we offer to all women to assist them in their lives. Our customers un understand that Lorna Jane is not simply an activewear clothing brand, it is a way of life. W Why not make 2012 all about you and kick of the new year with a plan to live an active lif lifestyle. Living active is not determined by age, shape or fitness level. It is simply about the w will to do everything possible to live your best, most beautiful life. When you move, you want to feel it, when you nourish you want to enjoy it & when you believe you want to mean it. N Now is the time to choose to prioritise your health & fitness. Take charge of your active life an and be inspired to live your best year yet.

KIDS STUDYING, OR UNDERTAKING AN APPRENTICESHIP?

They can be covered too! Dependant children can remain covered under your family

A Student/Apprentice Dependant Child registration form for this

membership up to the age of 21 years.

purpose is sent to all of the applicable Memberships in January of each year.

If however you have dependants who are: •

aged between 21 and 25, and

•

they are not living in a genuine domestic relationship,

It is the responsibility of the Member to complete the registration form to re-register their dependant prior to March 1st each year whilst the Student/Apprentice Dependant status applies.

and are; •

studying full time at a school, college or university, or

If this documentation is not received by the Fund, dependants will

•

working or training as an apprentice and earn no more than

cease to be covered under your standard family cover, and would

$20,000 per annum,

be required to take out their own Queensland Country Health Fund cover.

They are referred to as Student/Apprentice Dependants. These eligible persons can remain covered under your family policy at no extra cost whilst the above criteria apply to them.

Alternatively, under our extended family cover- Family Plus*, any dependant children aged between 21 and 25 years can remain on your family policy (as long as they are not married or in a de facto relationship) for a small additional premium cost.

To initially notify us of eligibility for Student/Apprentice dependant status, we would require the completion of a Registration of a

* Family Plus cover option is only available on packaged Private

Student/Apprentice Dependant Child form.

Hospital and Extras cover. It is not available to family Memberships with any hospital only product, Smart Start or Public hospital cover.

A further registration will be required prior to commencement of each academic /training year on March 1st ,should the dependant still meet the criteria for student/apprentice status at that time.

Choose private health insurance with Queensland Country before 29 February 2012 to collect your

PRIORITISE YOUR

HEALTH AND FITNESS

>>

$150 LORNA JANE GIFT CARD

<<

2012 is all about YOU Call 1800 813 415 or visit your local Queensland February 2012 | Queensland Country Health Fund Country Credit Union Branch.

9

Offer valid 1 February 2012 to 29 February 2012. Terms and conditions apply. Queensland Country Health Fund Ltd ABN 18 085 048 237

February 2012 | Queensland Country Health Fund 9

ABOUT

Dr Desmond Ong

Orthodontics A beautiful smile and healthy teeth can contribute greatly to your happiness, self-confidence and quality of life. Orthodontic treatment creates beautiful smiles through bringing the teeth, lips and jaws into proper alignment and harmony with each other. Correctly positioned teeth are easier to clean, function more efficiently and are more likely to last you a lifetime.

Townsville Orthodontic Specialists

IMPORTANT POINTS TO CONSIDER Is the practitioner providing your orthodontic treatment a general dentist or a registered specialist orthodontist? The registration and qualifications of your practitioner can be easily checked on the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) website http://www.ahpra.gov.au/

Orthodontists are highly trained dental specialists whose expertise is tooth alignment for children, teenagers and adults. An orthodontist must complete a 3 year full-time specialist program beyond their dental school training to become a registered specialist. Fundamental components of this full-time specialist program include the design and completion of a research project and rigorous theoretical and clinical examinations. Research projects require careful collection, investigation and interpretation of data and statistical results. This

Obtaining an all-inclusive financial quote in writing and a comprehensive diagnostic report is best to avoid confusion and unexpected costs. Please ask whether the fee includes all of the following: consultation, pre-treatment reviews and orthodontic record-taking, orthodontic appliances and post-treatment reviews. Beware of hidden or undisclosed fees. Patients should be made fully aware of the cost of service from the outset.

specialist training allows orthodontists to clearly distinguish between

Ask for all relevant item numbers for the proposed treatment.

clinical effectiveness and marketing hype, which is extremely

This will allow you to check with your private health fund

important in this era of mass media and information overload.

regarding rebates.

The Australian Society of Orthodontists recommends an orthodontic

As per the Dental Board of Australia guidelines, adequate informed

assessment for patients around the age of 8 years. Such an

consent must be obtained prior to commencing any treatment.

assessment is a good opportunity to assess the development of

Patients must be informed with respect to the following: the nature

the dentition and to screen for orthodontic anomalies. Appropriate

and purpose of the proposed treatment, any expected benefits and

and timely interception of various orthodontic anomalies can result

limitations, any relevant associated risks, the likely consequences of

in favourable outcomes in carefully selected cases. However, it is

not undertaking treatment and an outline of all reasonable treatment

important for any treatment modality to be justified from the cost-

options with their respective advantages and disadvantages.

benefit perspective. The majority of orthodontic patients are children and adolescents,

BENEFITS IN FOCUS - ORTHODONTICS

however, orthodontic treatment can be performed at any age if

Orthodontics is the area of dentistry focusing on the treatment of

the teeth and gums are healthy. Many adults are now undergoing

irregularities in the teeth (esp. of alignment and occlusion) and jaws,

orthodontic treatment to improve their dental alignment

including the use of braces. At Queensland Country Health Fund, we

and appearance.

provide a fantastic benefit towards these services. Benefits are paid out of your yearly dental limit.

Waiting Period

Orthodontics, Braces etc

12 months

10 Queensland Country Health Fund | February 2012

Essential Extras $450 per membership year (accumulating to $900 per membership year after 2 years of membership.) Lifetime limit of $1500 per person applies. Benefits are paid at 50% of cost of cost up to available limit .

Premium Extras $700 per membership year (accumulating to $1400 per membership year after 2 years of membership.) Lifetime limit of $3000 per person applies. Benefits are paid at 85% of cost up to available limit.

Smart Start

$400 per membership year. Lifetime limit of $800 per person. Benefits are paid at 70% of cost up to available limit.

February 2012 | Queensland Country Health Fund 11

LET US HELP YOU

ON TIME EVERY TIME!

With a Queensland Country BillPaying Account: UĂŠ 7iĂŠÂŤ>ĂžĂŠĂžÂœĂ•Ă€ĂŠLˆÂ?Â?ĂƒĂŠvĂ€ÂœÂ“ĂŠĂžÂœĂ•Ă€ĂŠ >VVÂœĂ•Â˜ĂŒ UĂŠ vĂŠ>Â?Â?ĂŠĂžÂœĂ•Ă€ĂŠLˆÂ?Â?ĂƒĂŠVœ“iĂŠ>ĂŒĂŠ œ˜Vi]ĂŠĂœiĂŠ`œ˜½ĂŒĂŠVÂ…>Ă€}iĂŠ ÂˆÂ˜ĂŒiĂ€iĂƒĂŒĂŠÂˆvĂŠĂžÂœĂ•Ă€ĂŠ>VVÂœĂ•Â˜ĂŒĂŠ LiVœ“iĂƒĂŠÂœĂ›iĂ€`Ă€>ĂœÂ˜IĂŠ UĂŠ ÂœĂŠĂŒĂ€>Â˜Ăƒ>VĂŒÂˆÂœÂ˜ĂŠVÂ…>Ă€}iĂƒ

D UHIUHVKLQJ DWÄŚLWXGH WR EDQNLQJ Visit your local Queensland Country Credit Union branch or qccu.com.au for more information

Queensland Country Credit Union Limited. ABN 77 087 651 027 AFSL 244533. * Set monthly deposits are required for bill paying accounts. %LOOV ZLOO QRW EH DFFHSWHG IRU SD\PHQW XQWLO ÀUVW PRQWKV UHTXLUHG GHSRVLW KDV EHHQ UHFHLYHG 7KH DFFRXQW FDQ QRW EH RYHUGUDZQ ZLWKLQ WKH ÀUVW ZHHNV RI FRQWUDFW 2WKHU WHUPV DQG FRQGLWLRQV DSSO\ DQG DUH DYDLODEOH RQ UHTXHVW 0RQWKO\ DFFRXQW NHHSLQJ IHH RI DSSOLHV

12 Queensland Country Health Fund | February 2012

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