Take cover from painful whacks Is it time to give your health insurance a check-up? Picture: Guy Bailey Source: National Features THERE is no carrot and stick approach when it comes to private health insurance. Only sticks. Should you need treatment but don't have any cover, you can get whacked by our strained public health system. If your annual income is a bit above the national average, you get whacked by tax penalties. If you start your policy too late in life, you can get whacked too. Private health premiums are up again, 5.56 per cent this year - more than double the rate of inflation. Yet another whacking. However, you don't just have to sit back and take it. There are plenty of comparison websites around that can help you check if your cover is right for you. Many people pay for services they don't use - such as obstetrics long after they have finished the family. Others are cutting their costs by dropping extras. Quitting hospital cover can be costly, though. Apart from losing benefits such as choice of hospitals and specialists, the Government hits medium and high income earners with a Medicare levy surcharge that can cost as much as the cover itself. But as long as there is competition among private health providers, consumers do have power. The Big Health Insurance Switch campaign, supported by News Limited, is a good example, already signing up more than 40,000 people. The fact that this four-week campaign blitzed its target of 50,000 consumers in its first two days shows that households are hurting and seeking ways to save money. Cutting the cost of ever-rising health insurance is a good start. Pick up the phone and call your provider. Go online for a better deal. Grab hold of the stick and whack them back.