The two-year deal will help provide joint patients and customers certainty over their health and care expenses while helping to limit out-of-pocket costs for Bupa members at St Vincent’s hospitals. It will cover Bupa’s customers at St Vincent’s 10 private hospitals in NSW, Victoria, and Queensland.

Under the new partnership, St Vincent’s and Bupa will work towards trialing a short-stay hip and knee program at several St Vincent’s hospitals. St Vincent’s has also extended its digital mental health service, This Way Up, to Bupa customers for treatment of critical issues such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

St Vincent’s CEO Chris Blake said: “This agreement demonstrates that collaboration and partnership between hospital providers and health insurers remains achievable and can drive better health outcomes.

“It’s a partnership that supports the viability of our hospitals – particularly our regional services – while giving Bupa members access to some of the best private healthcare in Australia.

“Our partnership with Bupa has always been about more than just financial arrangements. We are both committed to working together to add value for customers – our patients – and moving private health forward,” Mr Blake said.

Bupa Health Insurance Managing Director Chris Carroll said: “Working alongside St Vincent’s, we’ve strived to put in place a partnership that puts patients first and helps ensure our customers have access to affordable and high value care.

“We want to be a true partner in our customers’ healthcare, and partnerships like this help us innovate and respond to meet the changing health and wellbeing needs of Australians, now and into the future.

“This shows what’s possible when hospitals and health insurers work together to address the current challenges facing our sector. This includes addressing increased private hospital costs while keeping our customers’ premiums as low as possible, particularly in light of current cost-of-living pressures,” Mr Carroll said.

Mr Blake said hospital providers and health funds had roles to play to help safeguard the private health system.

“Everyone understands Australia’s private health sector, as with the broader health system, is undergoing a period of transition at the moment,” he said.

“For private health care to operate effectively, health funds and hospitals need to work together, and on an even playing field. That’s where this agreement springs from, the goal of putting patient care first, and supporting the sustainability of our sector,” said Mr Blake.

“Not only are the contacts increasing but the severity and complexity of their needs are too.

Children and young people are increasingly experiencing serious mental health concerns, including suicidal ideation or behaviour and self-harm,” Ms Adams said.

In support of this essential service, the Bupa Foundation has provided an additional donation of $100,000, bringing the Foundation’s total commitment to Kids Helpline to $1.45m over the past year.

Hisham El-Ansary, Bupa Asia Pacific CEO, said this extended funding would go towards addressing the immediate surge in demand experienced by Kids Helpline, while the Bupa Foundation continues to support longer term strategies to nurture the mental health and well-being of young Australians.

“Supporting the mental health of our young people has never been so important,” Mr El-Ansary said.

Some other key findings from Kids Helpline include:

• An 80% increase in contacts from 5–10-year old children
• 13–18-year olds represent the largest segment of contacts
• An increase of 200% in emergency interventions by Kids Helpline counsellors for children and young people in Victoria in the first six months of 2021
• An increase of 40% in emergency interventions by Kids Helpline counsellors for children and young people in New South Wales in the first six months of 2021

Bupa is encouraging its customers, its people and the general public to support Kids Helpline by donating here if they are in a position to do so.

To help parents look after the mental health of their children, Kids Helpline Counsellor, Amanda Grehan has the shared following tips:

1. Be aware of your own feelings (as children can pick up on these) and make sure you are looking after your own wellbeing as a parent
2. Be curious and ask questions about their thoughts and feelings (don’t make assumptions as these might be wrong, e.g. some children may enjoy aspects of lockdown)
3. Invite questions and answer as simply and honestly as possible – it’s ok to say, “I don’t know – let’s find out the answer to this together!”
4. Problem-solve together – we can’t make Covid-19 go away, but we can find creative solutions to other problems, e.g. “Your soccer game was cancelled due to lockdown – why don’t we have a fun family match in the backyard?”
5. Switch off and take time out together – constant news about Covid-19 can be overwhelming, so it’s important to take a break and spend time together as a family

Additional resources are available via the Kids Helpline website.

Media reference number: 20/131

Bupa has also established a COVID-19 Crisis Support Appeal for its over 20,000 employees across Australia and New Zealand who may wish to contribute, with all donations being matched dollar for dollar by Bupa^[1]. The appeal supports UNICEF Australia and CARE Australia, who both have dedicated teams leading response and relief initiatives in India.

Bupa ANZ’s Chief Executive Officer, Hisham El-Ansary said the scale of the crisis demanded support from organisations such as Bupa.

“As a health and care company, with operations in the region, we need to play our part in responding to this humanitarian crisis. Through the support of our business, our people and relief organisations like UNICEF, we can make a significant contribution to saving lives in India.

Our hearts go out to our Bupa colleagues and the broader population in India, together with our people, customers and communities in Australia and New Zealand with family members who may be directly impacted,” Mr El-Ansary said.

Bupa UK has also announced a donation to the Disaster Emergency Committee’s (DEC) appeal to provide medical supplies, treatment facilities and logistics support to overwhelmed health services in the country.

“Supporting each other, wherever needed across the world, is a key learning from this pandemic” Mr El-Ansary said.

UNICEF Australia’s CEO Tony Stuart said the response to COVID-19 requires a truly united response.

“The situation in India is critical and this donation will go directly to our response there where we are urgently working to equip hospitals with Oxygen Generation Plants and provide other critically needed oxygen and testing supplies.

I thank the Bupa Health Foundation and its team for its generous donation and for also demonstrating a leading role in how the private sector can support this response,” Mr Stuart said.

Bupa customers can also help support the Indian COVID-19 crisis response by donating to the UNICEF India COVID-19 Crisis Appeal and/or the CARE Australia COVID-19 Emergency Appeal.

^[1] Donations will be matched by Bupa up to $200 per person/year.

Media reference number: 20/125

“Australians are hurting, and we all need to play our part”, Mr El-Ansary said.

“We recently announced $50m of financial hardship relief for customers most impacted by the economic fallout of COVID-19. We recognise that all our customers are being impacted in some way, and today’s decision to delay the annual premium increase by six months, provides further relief.

“This will give us all time to draw breath and assess the impact of the suspension of non-urgent elective surgery on hospitalisations, as well as the take-up of newly introduced tele-health services.

“Over the past month, we’ve sent more than 2.2 million emails or letters advising of premium increases due to take effect on 1 April. Those increases will now not apply for another six months. Customers don’t need to take any action - we will put the changes through our systems and update customer accounts accordingly.

“We’ve also had literally thousands of customers applying for financial hardship assistance through our website since it was announced last Thursday. That opportunity remains open, and we encourage any customer requiring assistance to contact us,” Mr El-Ansary said.

Customers can access the financial hardship application form online at www.bupa.com.au/COVID19 Customers are asked to be patient as customer service teams work to process the large volume of applications.

Update 29 March 2020: Bupa delays premium increase for all customers​. See more here.

Australia’s largest health insurer, Bupa, announced today that it will provide more than $50m in assistance for customers suffering financial hardship due to COVID-19.

Bupa has also confirmed that all customers with a hospital policy would be covered for COVID-19 related claims, irrespective of the terms of that policy.

Bupa Australia & New Zealand Chief Executive Officer, Hisham El-Ansary, said Bupa had established the assistance fund to give customers some comfort at a time when the community was understandably anxious.

“This is a health situation like no other and as a health and care company we want to support our customers through this pandemic,” Mr El-Ansary said.

“From today, customers who have lost their jobs or are experiencing other financial hardship as a result of COVID-19, will have access to some financial assistance.

“Specifically, customers who have received the Commonwealth coronavirus supplement or are sole traders can apply through our website. Our customer service teams are working to process these applications. The assistance provided will vary based on individual circumstances.

“Following the government’s decision yesterday to suspend all non-urgent elective surgery, we are also considering how we can ensure customers can continue to receive value from their products.

“This will include customers being able to claim psychology, counselling, speech pathology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and dietetic services delivered through telephone or video consultations, subject to their policy. We are also looking at several other options,” Mr El-Ansary said.

Customers can access the financial hardship application form online at www.bupa.com.au/COVID19

Bupa is one of three investors contributing a combined $53m to support the development of pioneering polypill treatments for high blood pressure and heart disease. Polypills combine a number of related medications into one tablet, improving compliance and reducing medication errors.

The funding injection will mean that these super pills for high blood pressure and heart disease, which have already been successfully trialled by The George Institute, will now reach patients in Australia and globally within the next five years.

These include:

• A low dose triple pill approach that has been shown to outperform traditional high blood pressure treatments without additional side effects. A trial revealed 70 per cent of those on the triple pill reached their blood pressure target compared to just over half on normal therapy.

• A four in one pill that has led to a 40 per cent increase in patients who have suffered a heart attack or stroke sticking to their life-saving treatments. Trials have consistently shown that polypills reduce both blood pressure and cholesterol, to levels that could halve the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

“High blood pressure affects more than six million Australians each year. It is also a leading risk factor for heart disease which is the number one killer in Australia. We urgently need new medications to target these conditions and our treatments have the potential to save many lives, not just here in Australia but globally,” said Professor Stephen MacMahon, Co-Founder and Principal Director of The George Institute.

Staph Leavenworth Bakali, Chief Executive Officer and President of George Health Enterprises said: “This cements Australia’s status as a global player in producing research that delivers real impact. Polypills have vast potential to transform healthcare around the world and it’s a credit to Australia that we have led this world-class research, conducted the trials and now have the local funding to ensure these drugs reach the many millions of people that need them.”

Bupa’s Managing Director of Health Insurance, Dr Dwayne Crombie, said the investment was not a health insurance related decision, but rather a commitment to innovative new models of care for better health outcomes.

“Our purpose at Bupa is to help people live longer, healthier, happier lives,” Dr Crombie said.

“This investment will make a real difference to the healthcare outcomes for millions of people, both in Australia and around the world and is another way we can bring that purpose to life.

“It’s an opportunity to support innovative thinking in the health sector which will ultimately improve medication compliance and availability for people with heart disease or high blood pressure,” Dr Crombie said.

Bupa’s investment builds on an initial relationship with The George Institute in 2016.

The first scholarship is aimed at post-graduate students with a demonstrated interest in mental health who wish to commence a Master of Public Health, Master of Social Work, or Master of Clinical Psychology at the University. The second scholarship is available for high-achieving Indigenous students who wish to pursue a Bachelor of Arts.

Support for these scholarships mark the next phase of Bupa’s ongoing relationship with the University of Western Australia following its sponsorship of Perth Festival, which was established by the University of Western Australia in 1953.

General Manager of WA Partnerships at Bupa, Clinton Byrne said, “advancing mental health capabilities within the healthcare industry is a major priority for our company across Australia.”

“We are hopeful that the Bupa Mental Health scholarship will encourage a high-achieving individual to pursue a rewarding career in the industry and leave a legacy we can all benefit from,” said Mr Byrne.

One in five Australian’s experience mental health problems with suicide the leading cause of death of young people – accounting for one-third of deaths of Australians aged 15–24.

The Bupa Indigenous Scholarship for Arts will further bolster The University of Western Australia’s offerings to Indigenous students such as the ability to gain entry without an ATAR and a thriving Indigenous Studies department.

“As a leading health and care company in Australia, we are passionate about using our resources to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”

“We understand the importance of advancing education and employment opportunities for Indigenous people and will continue to create career and education pathways within Bupa and through external scholarships such as this,” said Mr Byrne.

Tayyeb Shah, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Global Partnerships, University of Western Australia said, “we would like to thank Bupa for supporting these incredibly valuable scholarships in two priority areas for both the University of Western Australia and Bupa – these scholarships are currently available for any interested students.”

Applications for the two scholarships are open until Sunday 1 March 2020 with interested student encouraged to register via the links below:

Bupa Mental Health Scholarship

Bupa Indigenous Scholarship for Arts

Bupa has announced a range of measures to support employees, customers, residents and the community including:

• $100,000 donation to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund;
• six months of premium relief for eligible Bupa Health Insurance customers*;
• $10,000 donation to each local Rural Fire Service and Country Fire Authority where our care homes have been impacted, starting with Eden, Tumut and Bairnsdale;
• up to 20 days paid community service leave for employees who are involved in the firefighting and disaster relief effort, along with counselling support for those who have been personally impacted;
• selected dental and optical services** for eligible Bupa customers from Bupa Optical and Bupa-owned dental practices; and
• expansion of our Workplace Giving campaign to support the Red Cross Relief and Recovery appeal and our volunteer fire fighting services, with all employee donations being matched by Bupa until the end of January.

Bupa A&NZ’s Chief Executive Officer, Hisham El-Ansary said Bupa was committed to helping in any way it could during the horrific bushfires.

“Bupa’s immediate focus has been on the safety and care of our aged care residents who live in the impacted areas. We have worked closely with the relevant authorities and acted quickly to ensure that some 200 of our residents have been moved to locations where they can be cared for safely” Mr El-Ansary said.

“Our hearts go out to those who have been impacted by some of the worst fires we have seen in recent times. Our disaster relief package is designed to lessen some of the burden that many will be feeling, while also supporting the efforts of the brave firefighters and emergency services volunteers. I also acknowledge the dedication of our nurses and carers, some of whom have been personally impacted, as they work to comfort our residents during this difficult time,” Mr El-Ansary said.

Bupa customers are encouraged to contact Bupa’s customer service team on 134 135 or bupabushfirerelief@bupa.com.au to discuss what is available to them and how they can access support.
 

*Terms & Conditions include: Bupa Health Insurance customers have held their policy at 1 January 2020 and who have received the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment following the recent bushfires. Customers can lodge their application from 7 January 2020 until 1 July 2020. Customers are required to provide evidence of receipt of their Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment from the Department of Human Services. Customers will be provided premium relief based on their level of cover as at 1 January 2020.
**Eligible Bupa Health Insurance customers will have access to no out-of-pocket (up to $300) for emergency dental treatments at Bupa-owned Platinum or Members First general dental clinics, while both eligible Bupa health insurance and existing Bupa Optical customers will have access to free prescription frames and prescription sunglasses (from a selected range), contact lenses and eye drops from Bupa Optical.