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HUNTER-BASED private health insurer NIB has revealed its controversial bid to expand into the medical tourism market a year ago has been a “steep learning curve”.
The admission comes amid concerns the company recently removed from its website any mention of a 12-month post-operation care policy for people getting breast surgery or dental work in Thailand.
When asked about this, a spokesman said the after-care promise was definitely still available to all NIB Options customers – previous, current and future – but some changes were being made.
“The reference to the after-care promise on our website has been temporarily removed as we look to make some refinements, based on feedback,” he said.
“We will still support customers with further follow-up treatment and care for up to 12 months after surgery, if necessary.”
New venture, NIB Options, which is not a private health insurance, was launched last March. It was promoted as a bundled service that filled a gap within the overseas surgery tourism market – providing an initial consultation, travel arrangements, the surgery itself and an after-care guarantee to make the whole experience safer.
The post-operation promise involved a medical advisory committee reviewing each case if a complication arose.
There would then be an option for an Australian surgeon to look after the patient or the original doctor, depending on what was most appropriate.
When a spokesman was asked how NIB Options was progressing one year on, he acknowledged there was still a lot of work to do.
“Like all start-up businesses, we are still investing in core capabilities for NIB Options and admittedly, we’re on a steep learning curve,” he said.
“But people travelling across international borders is a thematic we’re very attracted to and the outlays to date represents a very small upfront investment given the potential returns.”
The spokesman said he would not disclose how many customers had signed up to NIB Options since it was launched. “However, we are seeing about 50per cent inquiries for dental and the other 50per cent for cosmetic surgery.”
