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Major Australian Healthcare Insurance Companies Now Support Apple Wallet

-BigMac- said:
It sounds like you are being sarcastic.. and completely first world problems.
But just in case you're not.. you no doubt also have digital car and home keys? Both are available - for a price.

Apple will love you btw, because just imagine the pressure of you having their tech on you at all times.
Imagine that one time you lose your phone, or better yet.. the battery simply needs to drain and you can't do anything - at all.
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I agree about the pressures of having tech.

Simply put, if you run out of battery the onus in on you. Just like if you lose your wallet. Our new trains and buses will have USB ports for charging and most shopping centres have charging hubs.

Like it or not, we've become dependent on technology. I'd love to delete my social, but I need it for work. Facebook, LinkedIn...etc make it hard to seperate your personal and professional lives.
 
steevn said:
I think maybe it’s a different type of card that’s now able to be added?

Outside of that though, I also don’t see the big deal. I’ve worked in health care admin in the US at multiple hospitals in different states and every one of them verifies active coverage online before the visits, or while people are standing at the check in desk.
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In Australia, everyone has "coverage" it's just the level of coverage that varies, and changes the amount you pay when you leave. Unless it's a major procedure planned weeks ahead, they generally ask what coverage you have after providing treatment.

steevn said:
They are also able to find what insurance 99.9% of its patient population has without having the physical card.
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Not in Australia.

With government insurance, which everyone should have, privacy laws won't even allow them to acknowledge that you exist at all. When I lost my card, getting a replacement required days of phone calls, and ended with a snail mail letter sent to my registered address. They refused to confirm anything beyond "we will send you a letter" over the phone. Health providers can file an insurance claim and if the details are correct, some days later they'll get paid. If anything goes wrong (as happened with my newborn son's first few months of checkups/vaccines) the provider just won't get paid at all, and they won't be told why they weren't paid.

When my son was born, turns out a typo was made by a doctor's assistant which stuffed everything up. I then found out even the father may not be able to make enquiries about their child's account unless the mother is diseased. And once they reach a certain age, she also loses access.

With private insurance (which most people have have on top of government insurance as your income tax is severely penalised without it), you're given a bill for the full uninsured amount, then they scan your card to file an online/instant claim. If successful the bill will be amended based on your policy. The provider has no visibility except for the dollar amount and if you haven't got your card you have to pay in full, then manually apply as a patient to get a refund later.
 
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I carry my health insurance card in my wallet, but every time I've been taken to the hospital (I've had a few ambulance rides the past few years) I didn't need it when I got to the hospital. I gave them them my name, DOB, and company and they just looked it up in the computer.

The hospital I got to for all my surgeries and testing has the information on file, and it hasn't changed in years. I get coverage through my employer, and will keep the same coverage after I can retire (in 2 years, 16 days). If anything changes on that front, I log into the hospital's portal to update it.

As far as emergency care goes, by law no one can be turned away from a hospital in the US when in need of emergency care. If you're in bad enough shape to be brought in code 3 on an ambulance, they're more concerned with keeping you alive. Insurance is billing's problem. It gets sorted out later.

One of my ambulance rides to the local hospital got billed to my nickname and not my full name, and the computers at the hospital didn't catch it. They billed me $15,000 for the ride. My wife about crapped herself. I called them and fixed it, and it wasn't an issue (PIF). I don't use this hospital for ANYTHING. They almost killed me in that one. I mean they were really bad. I spent 29 days at one stretch in that place.

The pharmacy tried to pull the same thing with one of the prescriptions I was on. It was $3,000/mo (not a typo) and the national chain pharmacy said it wasn't covered. I know I have good coverage, I I called them and had them check it again. After some typing and muffled discussion I was told it was fully covered with no co pay. I'm not taking that medication anymore. Anyway.

In all the times I was in an emergency situation as far as health care, billing came second. So while it would be nice to have my insurance card in my phone, it's not a must have.
 
gsmornot said:
Don’t feel too bad guys, in the US we still need physical cards for everything on your list. Some states have drivers license covered but you can only use it in that state for a few things, its not universal. I can get my insurance card via an app but they want the physical card to scan at visit check in. The major store I shop at for groceries and home improvement dont take Apple Pay and the other places that do when you use it the employee half the time looks at you like you just performed a magic trick. We have so much “never going to change” that it may never change but it will. Good for you guys being able to go without physical cards, I have been dreaming of the day. I dont want a car key either.
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Honestly, we have much bigger problems as a country than whether our various cards can go on our iPhones. But that's a topic for a much different website.

That said, at least for paying for everyday things, it has gotten better. Around here, anyway.
 
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gussyboy said:
What about Myki or Opal in NSW?

I wish VIC government would just get everything digital, carrying a wallet to travel either in my car or on public transport is so annoying.
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Opal card has been available in Apple Wallet for some time as a beta trial now.
 
-BigMac- said:
You can drive home if you have a digital car key, without anything to unlock it with? Sounds safe :D
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There are very few people/cars that have that. I’d say your a bit dumb if you don’t carry a key just incase.

Anyway. I’m sure any store would let you charge your phone quickly if you was in such a disastrous situation.
 
It would be great if Queensland Transport was as motivated in releasing the, ‘Queensland Digital License’ as they are in collecting QPS’s revenue camera fines. According to their website the Fraser Coast trial ended in September 2020 and legislation has been approved to present the digital license to night clubs and Police. Medicare hasn’t even implemented biometric unlocking for their app so doubt a digital card being exportable to  Wallet is happening anytime soon.
 
Aus. news.
I heard on the radio this morning, that an electronic app of Covid/vaccination status is coming from the Federal government. And it will be in Apple Wallet, and ”in a few weeks”. Considering the stuff ups from this government, I’ll believe it when I see it. Still, we can hope.
 
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