happy health insurance premium increase notification day
i've had a lousy day and this is just the mouldy cherry on top.
this year, not only is medibank private increasing our membership premiums, they're also making changes to what they do and do not cover. as of 1 june, people with SmartPlus extras cover will no longer be eligible for renal dialysis. they will, however, still be able to get coverage for "assisted reproductive services".
wait. that can't be right, can it?
as of 1 june, if i needed renal dialysis -- a life-saving treatment as far as i'm aware -- and wanted to make a claim on my insurance for it, i would have to increase my coverage and live through any applicable waiting period, first. you know, while my kidneys were busy not working.
but i could still get IVF.
this is actually mentioned both in the covering letter, which outlines the increase, and in the accompanying leaflet, squeezed between two slightly related sentences. maybe so that no one will notice? (emphasis mine): The main change is that there will be no restricted services on your cover -- most services will become excluded and some will be included. In addition, renal dialysis will no longer be covered. This change should give you more certainty about what you are and aren't covered for.
those three sentences are actually some sort of despicable genius. no more restricted services seems like a good thing, right? and then there's the verb "to become" which indicates growth, something positive. your eye just sort of trips right over "excluded". then there's the introductory clause to the next sentence, "in addition" -- now that's just masterful. they're using the idea of more to tell you what they're actually taking away. and then, it's not that renal dialysis won't be covered, it's that it "will no longer be covered". it's not that you won't be alive, it's just that you will no longer be living. it's brilliant!
but the final sentence is truly the pièce de résistance for two reasons:
obfuscating for dummies, by medibank private.
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This entry was originally posted at Dreamwidth. If you feel inclined, comment there using OpenID.
this year, not only is medibank private increasing our membership premiums, they're also making changes to what they do and do not cover. as of 1 june, people with SmartPlus extras cover will no longer be eligible for renal dialysis. they will, however, still be able to get coverage for "assisted reproductive services".
wait. that can't be right, can it?
as of 1 june, if i needed renal dialysis -- a life-saving treatment as far as i'm aware -- and wanted to make a claim on my insurance for it, i would have to increase my coverage and live through any applicable waiting period, first. you know, while my kidneys were busy not working.
but i could still get IVF.
this is actually mentioned both in the covering letter, which outlines the increase, and in the accompanying leaflet, squeezed between two slightly related sentences. maybe so that no one will notice? (emphasis mine): The main change is that there will be no restricted services on your cover -- most services will become excluded and some will be included. In addition, renal dialysis will no longer be covered. This change should give you more certainty about what you are and aren't covered for.
those three sentences are actually some sort of despicable genius. no more restricted services seems like a good thing, right? and then there's the verb "to become" which indicates growth, something positive. your eye just sort of trips right over "excluded". then there's the introductory clause to the next sentence, "in addition" -- now that's just masterful. they're using the idea of more to tell you what they're actually taking away. and then, it's not that renal dialysis won't be covered, it's that it "will no longer be covered". it's not that you won't be alive, it's just that you will no longer be living. it's brilliant!
but the final sentence is truly the pièce de résistance for two reasons:
- it is completely unrelated to the other two sentences; and
- it tells you absolutely nothing. to wit:
- "This change" -- wait, which one? the one where there'll be no restricted services or the one where you're no longer covering renal dialysis?
- "should give you more certainty" -- certainty is good, but you say 'should' which is like the one-size-fits-most verb. what if it doesn't fit?
- "about what you are and aren't covered for." -- oh, so you're making these changes for my benefit. well, that seems totally reasona-- HEY WAIT A MINUTE.
- "This change" -- wait, which one? the one where there'll be no restricted services or the one where you're no longer covering renal dialysis?
obfuscating for dummies, by medibank private.
--
This entry was originally posted at Dreamwidth. If you feel inclined, comment there using OpenID.