DARIAN STRINGER
HEALTH
Retired Police Officer and Police Health Member
If it wasn’t for Police Health, I wouldn’t be here IF IT WASN’T FOR POLICE Health, I wouldn’t be here. I only had to wait five days for my open-heart surgery. I didn’t have the time to wait in the public system. Out of the $71,000 cost, I paid just $580.
And you could tell how this ease of burden impacted my recovery. I was finished with my rehab from openheart surgery just two weeks on. I still find it hard to believe I only had to pay a $580 gap, out of my pocket.
30 POLICE NEWS MARCH 2021
From getting totalled by a truck and being diagnosed with a heart condition, to suffering a stroke and having open-heart surgery, I’m lucky to still be here. Thankfully, for most of my career, I had Police Health looking after me. I spent 25 years as a serving member of SAPOL. I worked as a police officer and also provided support to the Eyre Peninsula through my St. John’s training. The majority of my years at SAPOL were in disaster management and planning. I’m fortunate enough to have worked in a close-knit team of five responsible for restructuring the State Disaster System and facilities, which proudly still exists today. I retired in 2002, after managing the rollout of the Government Radio Network to Transport South Australia. A trip to the local dentist for a facial bone structure procedure introduced me to Police Health. You know there’s an insurance provider that’s made just for you, the dentist said. I moved from Bupa to Police Health and it was the best decision I ever made. It all started in 1995, when I began experiencing abnormally high blood pressure. After being referred to a cardiac specialist, I was told I had a heart condition, most likely brought on from contracting Rheumatic Fever at the age of five. Two years later I, unfortunately, suffered a stroke. I was checked, given medication and sent home. The next morning at 3.30am, I was rushed in an ambulance back to hospital again.
Over the next 22 years, the annual checks were the most important part of maintaining heart health, until June 2019. I experienced mild chest pain that was starting to worry me. By day three, the pain had radiated into my left shoulder. I called my GP who quickly arranged an angiogram with a cardiac specialist. I was immediately admitted to open heart surgery, with only a five-day wait. I couldn’t afford to wait in the public system for over a month. But, with Police Health, the surgery was performed on the fifth day, as promised. I had a valve replacement for both my aorta and mitral, as well as two, triple bypass vain replacements. B et we en Police Health and Medicare, all of my doctors, specialists and hospital costs were more than
adequately covered. I only paid $580, if you can believe that! I have claimed $88,000 from my Police Health membership over the past three years I had spent eight days in the ICU, five days in post-surgery care, followed by another five in rehab. The best part was the claim went through so easily! The whole process couldn’t have been more straightforward. There was no arguing and no hassles. I didn’t have to put my family or friends at risk. Police Health gave me the peace of mind to focus on my journey to recovery, instead of worrying about how I could afford it. Removing the mental worries that come with a serious health diagnosis was priceless, Police Health took a huge load off my brain. Continued on page 33
