u/oshan2csd

Hi all,

I’m about to get Medicare and trying to figure out whether it makes sense to keep private health insurance or drop it altogether. Currently, I'm paying ~$315/month for a family cover (Bupa). Keen to hear what others have done in practice.

A few things I’m wondering about:

• Did you keep your private health insurance once you got Medicare? If yes, why?
• What did you do about ambulance cover (standalone vs included in PHI)?
• Is Medicare alone a good option in your experience?
• Any tax implications to be aware of if you don’t have private insurance?
• How bad are public hospital wait times if you only rely on Medicare?
• If you do keep extras/private cover, which ones have you found worthwhile?

Would really appreciate hearing personal experiences and what’s worked (or not worked) for you.

Thanks!