Teachers Health Fund and related services

AEU members are entitled to join Teachers Health Fund, while membership also gives access to the Union Health Centre for discounted optical, dental, therapeutical and medical services, and to the AEU's counselling referral service.

Teachers Health Fund

Teachers Health Fund is a not-for-profit health fund which provides education workers and their families with high benefit health cover at a low contribution rate.

Today the society has 95,000 contributors. As a member of the AEU you are entitled to join a health fund that has your best interests at heart and you can save your union membership fees in a year.

Teachers Health Fund now has two representatives for Victorian AEU members based at the AEU head office. THF member liaison coordinators Vince Raschilla and Sarah Kupsch speak to AEU members about the benefits for members in joining the health fund.

Teachers Health Fund is:

Not-for-profit
The largest restricted membership health fund in Australia
Designed exclusively for the education community
Financially strong - significantly exceeds statutory reserve requirements
Directed by a Board consisting mainly of current and former teachers.

Advantages of membership:

Quality cover at competitive rates
Range of products to suit all needs and budgets
Single-minded focus on the education community's health needs
Generous benefits and limits
Members get the benefits - not shareholders.

Who can join:

Current and former members of education unions (including student, part-time and full-time members)
Partners, former partners, children, siblings, parents and grandchildren of Teachers Health Fund members

To find out more about how to join or the benefits of membership, contact Teachers Health Fund:

Telephone: (03) 9417 2822
Email: Sarah.Kupsch@TeachersHealth.com.au
Email: Vince.Raschilla@TeachersHealth.com.au
Website: www.teachershealth.com.au

Union Health Centre

UnionHealth [unionhealth.jpg] AEU membership also gives access to the Union Health Centre, which provides optical‚ dental‚ therapeutical and medical services at discount rates.

Union Health Centre
Grnd Flr‚ Deakin House‚
393 Swanston Street
Melbourne VIC 3000

Tel: (03) 9662 3322
Email: unionhealth@bigpond.com

Direct lines
Dentistry: (03) 9662 2466
Medical: (03) 9654 2722
Optical: (03) 9662 1971

Counselling

The AEU also provides a counselling referral service. For referral to psychologists who assist AEU members at a reduced cost contact the union on (03) 9417 2822 or free call 1800 013 379 or email melbourne@aeuvic.asn.au.

Renee Kam's Antenatal Baby Education Class

happy baby [happy baby.jpg] Whereas hospital antenatal classes focus on labour, Renee Kam's Antenatal Baby Education Classes focus on caring for a newborn baby, particularly in the areas of breastfeeding, infant sleep and infant behaviour.

The classes cover:

Reasons why a baby might cry
How to recognise hunger, tired and wind pain signs
SIDS, tummy time, unsettled periods, growth spurts
Baby sleep (eg. circadian rhythms, sleep cycles, sleep associations, swaddling, how to gently achieve self settling, settling techniques, bedtime rituals)
Breastfeeding (eg. how breastfeeding works, indicators of adequate breastmilk intake, nipple care, attachment and positioning, expressing).

Renee Kam is a breastfeeding counsellor (as certified by the Australian Breastfeeding Association), physiotherapist and mother of two.

Cost: $70/single or $80/couple
Where: Renee's home in East Bentleigh
When: On a Saturday or Sunday (about 3 hours)
Contact: reneekam@iprimus.com.au