I would only do that if the public hospital is not a teaching hospital as I would still want my surgeon and a private room and neither are certain if one goes that way. Also, one still gets all the out of pocket expenses as if one was fully private.
Cannot win either way.
Like @sandramj I have paid top hospital cover since 1974 as well as paying taxes but I'd like to be treated by the medico I had selected. We pay $4,000 pa and my husband was recently treated as an absolute ''feral'' in the public system (when the private hospital was on ambulance by-pass).
That is so distressing, @sandramj. Last time I looked the McGrath website had a list of their nurses and contact numbers but maybe not now. I try never to leave messages and I would speak with the hospital social work department for details if necessary.
