COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions

The Victorian Government has paused all Category 3 elective surgery in Metro Melbourne to ensure hospitals have capacity to manage the second wave of COVID-19.

Elective surgery will be reduced to no more than 50 per cent of activity across all public hospitals and 75 per cent in private hospitals.  This means that private hospitals will continue to perform Category 1 (treatment within 30 days) and urgent Category 2 (treatment within 90 days) surgery.

At this stage, there are no changes to elective surgery in regional Victoria.
 

WHAT IF I HAVE A SURGERY BOOKED IN VICTORIA?
St.LukesHealth suggests you contact your surgeon or specialist to find out if your treatment has been postponed to a later date.

The scheduling of elective surgery will be subject to the COVID-19 restrictions in each state or territory and hospitals will work with medical specialists to determine their patient list.

We have been assured by our private hospital partners that when they do return to “normal” working conditions, they will have capacity to offer shorter waiting periods for privately insured patients.

This is great news considering the expected increase in the already ballooning public waiting list.

If you are travelling interstate to receive treatment in Victoria, we also ask that you make yourself aware of the COVID-19 travel restrictions and conditions in place within your jurisdiction.

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CAN I STILL USE MY EXTRAS?
St.LukesHealth is of the understanding that you can still access health services covered under your Extras product, however it is best to contact your provider for more information.

The Australian Dental Association of Victoria is reinforcing its advice to all dental practices in metropolitan Melbourne and the Shire of Mitchell to operate at Level 2 dental restrictions to minimise the risk of spreading the virus. This includes things like examinations, simple non-invasive fillings and non-surgical extractions. While there are small increases in parts of regional Victoria, Level 1 dental restrictions remain in place for these area and dentists are continuing to monitor their area to ensure they are taking appropriate steps to minimise risk. Level 1 means that dental professionals must continue to screen patients and only treat those who do not meet the epidemiological and clinical risk factors for COVID-19.  

St.LukesHealth now offers telehealth services for nine modalities including clinical psychology, counselling, physiotherapy, osteopathy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, exercise physiology, diabetes education and eye therapy where clinically appropriate to ensure that you can continue to access health treatment.

If you need access to emergency care, this is still available for you.


CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCE
We understand that COVID-19 has brought a lot of uncertainty into our members lives.

For some individuals and families, we know the support mechanisms we have put in place may not be enough. If you are in this position, we urge you to contact us to discuss a range of options that may be available to you, including hardship suspensions.

You can do this by calling our Customer Care Team on 1300 651 988 or email general@stlukes.com.au

For the most part, yes.

1. Elective Surgery
We understand that elective surgeries have resumed above 75 per cent of pre-COVID-19 capacity. This is so hospitals can maintain distancing, which has now been reduced in Tasmania to allow for more people in a confined space.

The scheduling of elective surgery will be subject to the COVID-19 constraints in each state or territory and hospitals will work with medical specialists to determine their patient lists.

2. Extras
We are pleased to see that our members are now taking advantage of their extras cover, with claims now recovering to about 80 to 85 per cent of normal forecasting.

We would expect to see providers catching up on any backlog of services shortly.

Great news, our Customer Care Centres have reopened.
However, there have been a couple of changes to our Devonport and Smithton sites.

Our Devonport centre is currently undergoing renovations and is expected to reopen on August 3. In the interim period, we have opened a pop-up centre across the road at 19 Rooke Street, Devonport.

The Smithton Customer Care Centre has moved to a new location as part of the Smithton Guardian Pharmacy at 18 King Street.

If you are not comfortable visiting our centres, you can still interact with us online at www.stlukes.com.au, call 1300 651 988 or email general@stlukes.com.au

For those who need to claim, we invite you to use our Claiming App, which can be downloaded from your phone’s app store.

• Do not enter if you are unwell or show symptoms of COVID-19, including fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue or shortness of breath;
• You use the hand sanitiser provided on arrival;
• You keep 1.5 metres distance from others; and
• For your safety and ours, we may ask to take your temperature.

To ensure we don’t inadvertently spread the virus or any infection to our members and employees, we have made the decision to go cashless.

There are a range of options available to members as a result of this.
 

1. Claiming App
If you haven’t checked it out yet, our claiming app is a great way to claim benefit.

For members who claim in-store, we ask you to download our online claiming app where it is possible for you to complete your claims transaction that you may have previously come into our Customer Care Centres for.

If you’re already using the app, that’s great, keep doing what you’ve been doing.
 

2. Website
If you would like to, you can register for Online Member Services, available on the St.LukesHealth website. This portal can help you with a range of transactions you may have visited our centres for.
 

3. Claiming in our Customer Care Centres
You will still be able to submit claims via our Customer Care Centres, however we will not be able to process these for you immediately.  St.LukesHealth aims to have your benefits paid into your bank account within three days of claim submission.

If you currently transact with us using cash or pay your premium using cash, there are a few options as we move into our ‘new normal'.

4. Direct Debit
Simply complete a direct debit form, which allows St.LukesHealth to take a premium payment on your behalf from your bank. This process is extremely safe and easy. Our Customer Care Team will be more than happy to assist with the paperwork if you would like to investigate direct debit transactions further.
 

5. Australia Post or BPay
If you do not wish to set up a direct debit and still wish to use cash, you can do so through Australia Post Post Billpay or alternatively pay using BPay.  All these details can be found on your renewal letter. Don’t fear, if you have misplaced this letter or don’t have the details, our Customer Care Team can help you by calling 1300 651 988 or email general@stlukes.com.au

For those with Extras cover, we have introduced telehealth consultations for a range of services including clinical psychology, counselling, physiotherapy, osteopathy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, exercise physiology, diabetes education and eye therapy where clinically appropriate.

These services are here to stay. You can use your private health insurance to claim on theses.

We understand that COVID-19 has brought a lot of uncertainty into our members lives.

For some individuals and families, we know the support mechanisms we have put in place may not be enough.
If you are in this position, we urge you to contact us to discuss a range of options that may be available to you. You can do this by calling our Customer Care Team on 1300 651 988 or email general@stlukes.com.au.

We have postponed our April 1, 2020 premium increase for up to six months to alleviate some of the stresses and challenges caused by COVID-19.

While this year was our lowest average premium increase in 19 years, we understand that every little bit helps.

St.LukesHealth will continue to monitor and reassess when to introduce the 2020 premium increase and keep our members updated on any changes that will affect them.