Bupa Health Insurance has engaged with Dialysis Australia to help our eligible customers* who require ongoing haemodialysis for kidney disease.
Delivered by Dialysis Australia, the program offers:
Personalised, nurse-led haemodialysis treatment and care.
Assistance with your transition to home-based haemodialysis.
Updates for your treating nephrologist, provided by Dialysis Australia.
What does the program provide?
Bupa has engaged with Dialysis Australia to provide home-based haemodialysis treatments for eligible Bupa Health Insurance customers* in Greater Melbourne, Greater Brisbane, Greater Sydney, or the Blue Mountains. The Dialysis Choices program is designed to make sure you can have treatment at home that is safe and effective.
As part of the program, Dialysis Australia nurses will visit you at home to assist with your haemodialysis treatments and arrange appointments. The Dialysis Australia team will also coordinate with your nephrologist to determine your treatment plan and share updates.
Dialysis Choices is available to eligible Bupa Health Insurance customers* at no extra cost#.
Program eligibility
If you meet the following criteria, you may be eligible to take part in the program:
- You are a Bupa Health Insurance customer with a hospital policy that includes cover for dialysis for chronic kidney failure – check what you’re covered for or contact us
- You can access a service provider in an available area (Greater Melbourne, Greater Brisbane, Greater Sydney, or the Blue Mountains)*
- You will need to have appropriate equipment and modifications installed in the home in order to transition to home-based dialysis^
- You require ongoing haemodialysis for chronic kidney disease
- Your nephrologist refers you to Dialysis Australia and states that you are suitable for home dialysis (Dialysis Australia will liaise with your treating nephrologist to generate a referral if you are eligible)
- You have served any relevant waiting periods (e.g. 12 months for pre-existing conditions)
- Your policy remains paid up to date throughout your treatment.
Why choose Dialysis Choices?
- Personalised haemodialysis treatment and care in the comfort of home, at no extra cost#
- Assistance with your transition to home-based haemodialysis
- Visits from Dialysis Australia nurses to assist, monitor, and observe during your treatments
- Less disruption to family and daily life, and reduced reliance on carers or childcare
- Organise appointments with Dialysis Australia and choose available treatment times that suit you best
- Increased feeling of control over your treatment
- Less time (and money) travelling to, and waiting for, treatment at a hospital or clinic
- Dialysis Australia will consult with, and update, your treating nephrologist and local dialysis unit
- A select nurse-led training program, coordinated by Dialysis Australia, is also available for those who would like to self-dialyse (complete treatment without a nurse)
Find out more
If you’d like to find out more about the program, or whether you are eligible, please contact Dialysis Australia on 1800 994 244, Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm, or visit the Dialysis Australia website.
Disclaimer
*The customer must hold an eligible Bupa Health Insurance hospital cover that includes cover for dialysis for chronic kidney disease. Out-of-pocket costs may apply. Waiting periods, fund, policy and program eligibility rules apply. Dialysis Australia is the provider of the program and admission into the program is also subject to their terms and conditions. Dialysis Choices is currently available in Greater Melbourne, Greater Brisbane, Greater Sydney, and the Blue Mountains. Contact Dialysis Australia to find out whether this service is available, or call Bupa Telehealth on 1300 030 238 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm AEST/AEDT).
^Dialysis equipment and home modifications are generally arranged through the public hospital system as part of their referral and onboarding process. Access to their equipment and any applicable modifications is based on the hospital’s assessment and availability, which is not guaranteed. If this equipment and modifications cannot be supplied and installed, then you may not be able to transition to dialysis at home.
#Depending on your level of cover some out-of-pocket costs may apply, like hospital excess or co-payments, fees for medical tests or specialist consultations not covered by bulk billing, medication, and increased utility bills including phone and internet charges and smart device maintenance. Changes to government policy and program funding may impact financial support (if any) offered through Dialysis Choices (which could lead to changes in your out-of-pocket expenses). Please contact us and Dialysis Australia to discuss eligibility and to understand whether you may incur any out-of-pocket expenses.
Bupa Health Insurance will fund eligible customers in accordance with their policy issued by Bupa Health Insurance Pty Ltd. To avoid doubt, Bupa Telehealth Pty Ltd and Bupa Health Centres Pty Ltd are not involved in the design and delivery of the program.
This program page provides resources and health information as a guide only, not as a substitute for medical advice or a professional endorsement. If you think you have a medical emergency, call 000 or go to the nearest emergency department.