Health and Wellbeing
Our health and wellbeing programs are designed to help you manage your health at every life stage.
Mi Health
As a Medibank member with hospital cover, you now have access to Mi Health, a new range of health support services that includes being able to speak to Medibank nurses 24/7 on our health advice line, online health information and tools, in hospital support* and mobile health apps.
* For overnight stays in participating Members' Choice Hospitals. Not available in all areas. Please call us on 132 331 for details.
betterhealth Coaching
-
betterhealth coaching is a telephone-based 6 month program designed to help you address key health issues such as:
- Weight loss
- Increasing physical activity
- Better nutrition
- Managing stress
- Quitting smoking
Your betterhealth Coaching action plan is tailored to you and will be supported by regular calls from program staff who offer the motivation and tools to help you achieve permanent change.
betterhealth Coaching is available to all Medibank Private members with hospital cover (excluding Overseas Student Health Cover and Overseas Visitors Cover) who meet clinical eligibility criteria. Enrolment is initially for 6 months subject to you maintaining your hospital cover with Medibank.
Enrol for betterhealth Coaching now – call 1800 817 635
betterhealth On Call
-
If you’re living with one of the following conditions, the Medibank betterhealth On Call program could be for you:
- Heart disease
- Heart failure
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Diabetes
- Mental health issues (suitability will be assessed on a case-by-case basis).
-
betterhealth On Call is a telephone-based support service provided by a range of health professionals including registered nurses and psychologists. The program has been designed to help you manage your chronic condition and provides you with the peace of mind that comes with unlimited access to 24 hour, 7 day a week telephone support.
The program includes:
- An individualised plan to help you achieve your personal health goals over the next 12 months
- Regular support calls from the program’s registered nurse
- Advice on ways to improve aspects of your health including weight management, understanding your medication and the importance of exercise
- Advice on effectively communicating with your doctor
- Appropriate support and information relevant to your health condition
- Assistance in accessing community services.
betterhealth On Call is available to all members who have current hospital cover (excluding Overseas Student Health Cover and Visitors Covers) who meet eligibility criteria. Enrolment is initially for 12 months subject to you maintaining your hospital cover with Medibank. Your eligibility to remain in the program will be reviewed after 12 months.
If you think betterhealth On Call sounds right for you, call 1800 817 635 for more information.
Painful knees or bad hips?
Get back to doing the things you enjoy!
Osteoarthritis (oss’tee’o’arth’ritis) is a very common type of joint disorder that can cause significant pain and stiffness and sometimes inflammation and swelling. When this joint pain and stiffness affects the knees or hips, it can make everyday activities, such as going up and down stairs or getting in and out of the car, difficult.
Whilst osteoarthritis can increase with age, ongoing knee or hip pain and discomfort should not be dismissed as an inevitable part of getting older. You can take action and get back to doing more of the things you enjoy.
There are three interconnected objectives for effective treatment of knee and hip osteoarthritis. These are:
- reduce load and stress on the joints
- keep the joints moving
- relieve pain
Importantly, if you don’t address all 3 core objectives, you may be putting up with unnecessary pain and stiffness.
Reducing load and stress on the joints
There are a number of different ways to reduce the load and stress on your joints. The 2 most important ways are:
- weight loss
- strengthening lower limb muscles
Weight Loss
When the average person with osteoarthritis who is 10 to 15 kg overweight loses just 6 to 7 kg[i] they can experience a life changing improvement in the joint pain and stiffness that they experience each day.
The reason such a dramatic improvement can be achieved is because for every 1kg of extra body weight a person carries there is around a 4kg increase in the pressure put on the knee joints.
So even losing 5kg would feel like taking the equivalent of a 20kg bag of cement off the knee joint, which will obviously make a huge improvement to sore joints!
Strengthening lower limb muscles
The lower limb muscles play an important role in cushioning and stabilising knee and hip joints during weight-bearing activities such as walking. For example, when the thigh muscles are strong and working effectively they act as ‘shock absorbers’ that reduce the strain on knee joints.
Keeping the Joints Moving
Many people with osteoarthritis tend to avoid using their painful joints for fear of making their pain worse. Unfortunately, when we don’t use our muscles they actually become weaker and less able to support and cushion the joint, which will actually make the joint even more painful over time.
There is good evidence that, among people with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee, light to moderate intensity physical exercise (with prior approval from their GP) improves muscle strength, joint range of motion and physical fitness. All of these improvements contribute to improved physical functioning and pain reduction.
Relieving Pain
With good pain control you can enjoy the simple things in life that people without constant pain take for granted. Everyday activities such as walking, sleeping, travel, shopping, bowls or even golf can be enjoyed without persistent pain.
The best osteoarthritis pain management plan is multi-layered. It includes:
- careful and planned use of prescription and over-the-counter medication that GPs, pharmacists or specialists may prescribe or recommend,
- reducing the load and stress on joints, and
- keeping the joints moving
Let Medibank help you get back to doing the things you enjoy!
The Integrated Osteoarthritis Management™ program is a specialised 18-week, 3-phase osteoarthritis management program that combines weight loss, lower limb muscle strengthening and pain management strategies. It has been designed to help you achieve the following management goals:
- reduce the load on your joints
- keep your joints moving
- reduce severity of joint pain
- (where applicable) improve fitness for joint replacement surgery and enhance preparation for post surgery rehabilitation; and
- develop new lifestyle habits that will make it easier for you to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle for life
The program is run by the Healthy Weight for Life team on behalf of Medibank. For members who meet the eligibility criteria (including a body mass index of 30+) the program is funded by Medibank. Over $745 worth of products, service and support are provided at no additional charge. There is no need to attend meetings or clinics. All the program components are delivered directly to you.
For a detailed overview of the program, general eligibility criteria and how to begin
Visit www.HealthyWeightForLife.com.au and click on the Osteoarthritis (OA) button, or call Healthy Weight for Life team on 1800 226 180 (free call) for an information pack to be mailed to you.
i 6.1kg weight loss equates to 7.5% of body weight for a woman of average height and BMI of 30, 7.2kg weight loss equates to 7.5% for a man of average height and BMI of 30. BMI = [body weight (kg) / (height (m))2 ].
Feature Articles for this summer:
Make your health a priority with a regular medical check-up
If you hate the thought of going to the doctor you are not alone - almost half of all Australians fail to have an annual check-up. But did you know that regular health checks can help prevent illness and prolong your life?
4 reasons to go to the doctor today!
- Regular check-ups are a great way of maintaining good health. They provide you with an opportunity to talk to your doctor about improving your diet, exercise and, if you are a smoker, help with quitting.
- Regular checks on blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar can alert you to any potential problems while they are still manageable and potentially reversible.
- Early detection is the best defence against cancer and many illnesses as it gives you the opportunity to take the right action or treatment from an earlier stage. There aren’t always obvious symptoms so regular screening is the only way of finding some cancers.
- Checkups are the perfect time to discuss any emotional or mental health problems you may have in a safe and confidential environment.
Don’t put it off any longer – book your annual check-up with your doctor now.
Our betterhealth programs are provided by Medibank Private and related companies trading as 'Medibank Health Solutions'. The services are not, and should not be taken to be, a replacement for medical or clinical advice given by your doctor. Please consult your doctor for specialist medical advice in relation to any health risks you may have.