We've got 147,000 members just like you

Thousands of Aussies aged from 35 to 44 trust us to help them and their families to get well. When you need us, we'll be here for you too.
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Why people like you have health cover

Protecting the family's health

Amisha and Sam, 39

Parents know it's no fun when a child gets sick. We've got three and with public hospital wait times for tonsils and ear infections, we want our kids to be seen quickly. It feels good to know that we're on top of our family's health now that we're covered.

Amisha and Sam's cover mix

Flex 50 Extras

Bronze Hospital Plus

How Amisha and Sam use their cover

  • They have Bronze Hospital Plus to cover common children's hospital procedures, plus they're covered for Dental Surgery if the kids need it
  • They also have Flex 50 Extras cover so the whole family gets at least 50% back on General and Major Dental, Optical, Physio and much more (1)
  • And just in case, they're covered for Urgent Ambulance by road
Explore Amisha and Sam's health cover

Health cover for fitness and self-care

Matt and Tash, 41

Tash and I have always been healthy and active and there's no chance we're slowing down now. We use our Extras cover on nutrition, physios and massage while the kids use theirs on dental and flu vacs. It's nice to have flexible cover so we can all claim for what we need.

Matt and Tash’s cover mix

Flex 60 Extras

Bronze Hospital Plus

How Matt and Tash use their cover

  • They have Bronze Hospital Plus in case anyone gets hurt, and for Matt's back, neck and spine issues
  • They also have Flex 60 Extras cover so each family member gets $1000 to spend on whatever services they need (2)
  • And just in case, they're covered for Urgent Ambulance by road
Explore Matt and Tash's health cover

Health cover for planning a baby

Sarah, 37

We are about to start trying for a baby — so excited! It's honestly such a relief knowing that I'll choose the hospital and the obstetrician to deliver our baby. I'm also getting physio and remedial massage covered in case I need help with my recovery.

Sarah's cover mix

Flex 50 Extras

Gold Hospital

How Sarah uses her cover

  • She has Gold Hospital cover with pregnancy and birth cover
  • She also has Flex 50 Extras cover for General Dental, Remedial Massage, and Physio
  • And just in case, she’s covered for Urgent Ambulance by road
Explore Sarah's health cover

Health cover for tax

David, 35

I got basic hospital cover in order to avoid paying the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS). I'm also now covered for hospital treatment in case I get hurt. Plus I got Extras cover for my dental visits and contact lenses. From a cost-benefit perspective, it just makes sense.

David's cover mix

Basic Extras

Basic Hospital Plus

How David uses his cover

  • Basic Hospital Plus helps David avoid the MLS while also being covered for accidents and joint reconstructions
  • He's also got Basic Extras cover for Optical, General Dental and Physio
  • And just in case, he’s covered for Urgent Ambulance by road
Explore David's health cover

Cover to suit your needs

Tell us a little about yourself, and in 3 minutes we'll find our best cover to suit your needs.

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What people like you are claiming for*

 

Preventative dental claims
Physio claims
Ambulance claims
Glasses claims
Contacts claims
Private beds provided
Chiro claims

* Based on 2018 claims data for HBF members aged between 35 and 44 years old. Service eligibility, benefit back per claim and annual limits will vary depending on selected Extras product.

Do you need hospital, extras or both?

Health cover is just an umbrella term for two types of health insurance—Hospital cover and extras cover. Find out what you need with this quick guide.

Hospital cover

Covers you when you’re admitted to hospital, and will help pay for things like specialist fees, accommodation and theatre fees.

View hospital cover

Extras cover

Covers a bunch of everyday health care services Medicare generally doesn’t, like dental, glasses and physio.

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Combined hospital and extras

If you’d like cover for hospital and extras, you can mix and match our products to create your own combined health cover.

Build your own cover

What’s the deal with tax time and health insurance?

What is the Medicare Levy Surcharge?

The Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS) is a tax the Australian Government introduced to encourage people earning above a certain amount to buy hospital insurance and where possible go to private hospitals instead of public ones.

There’s often confusion between the Medicare Levy and the MLS. The Medicare Levy is a tax that helps fund the public health care system. Most Australian taxpayers pay this tax. The MLS is an extra tax on top of the Medicare Levy, which only applies to people who don’t have hospital insurance and earn above a certain amount.

How does it work?

If your income is more than $90,000 as a single (or $180,000 as a family) and you don’t have hospital insurance, you might have to pay the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS). Depending on how much you earn, the MLS will be 1 – 1.5% of your income.

Does it apply to me?

You will only have to pay the MLS if you’re earning more than $90,000 a year and don’t have hospital insurance.

Even if the MLS doesn’t apply to you, it’s still worth considering taking out hospital cover by 30 June of the year following your 31st birthday. Why? Because of another government requirement: Lifetime Health Cover loading (explained above), which makes Hospital cover more expensive the longer you put off getting it.

What is the Australian Government Rebate?

The Australian Government rebate on private health insurance is a partial refund given to people who take out health insurance. It’s the government’s way of making Hospital, Extras and Ambulance insurance more affordable.

How does it work?

Depending on your age and income, the government will pay a percentage of the cost of your health cover—this is your rebate. You can apply the rebate directly to your premium (to make it cheaper) or you can claim it back as a lump sum when you lodge your tax return.

Does it apply to me?

You should be eligible for the rebate so long as you’re also eligible for Medicare and earning $140,000 or less as a single or $280,000 or less as a family.

What is Lifetime Health Cover?

Lifetime Health Cover loading is an extra cost or mandatory loading that must be applied to the price of hospital cover. It is a measure that is designed to encourage younger people to take out hospital cover and hold onto it once they have it. From 1 April 2019 insurers have the option to allow age based discounts as well.

How does it work?

The loading applies to people 31 or older who don’t have hospital cover and decide to take it out later. For every year over the age of 30 you don’t have hospital insurance, the price goes up 2%. The loading goes up to a maximum of 70%.

To avoid Lifetime Health Cover loading, you must be covered by hospital insurance by the end of the financial year following your 30th birthday.

If the loading applies to you, you’ll need to pay the loading on your Hospital cover for 10 continuous years before it’s removed. The loading is capped at whatever percentage applies to you at the time you take out Hospital cover. For example, if your loading is 2% you will only ever pay that amount.

Does it apply to me?

To avoid paying LHC loading, you need to take out a private health insurance hospital policy on or before the 1st July following your 31st birthday.

Rachel, 36

Purchased Bronze Hospital Plus at 36 years old. This was her first private hospital cover.

10%1LHC loading

$922.202Bronze Hospital Plus

Amanda, 41

Purchased Bronze Hospital Plus at 41 years old. This was her first private hospital cover.

20%3LHC loading

$1038.704Bronze Hospital Plus

1 10% lifetime health cover loading based on a 36-year-old with a birth date after 1 July. With resultant increase in total premium of $116.45. As at 01/04/2020.

2 Price is based on a Bronze Hospital Plus ($750 excess), single, in WA paying by direct-debit yearly with 25.059% Australian Government Rebate on private health insurance and 10% Lifetime Health Cover loading. As at 01/04/2020.

3 20% lifetime health cover loading based on a 41-year-old with a birth date after 1 July. With resultant increase in total premium of $232.95. As at 01/04/2020.

4 Price is based on a Bronze Hospital Plus ($750 excess), single, in WA paying by direct-debit yearly with 25.059% Australian Government Rebate on private health insurance and 20% Lifetime Health Cover loading. As at 01/04/2020.

Discover more about health cover with our help

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Don't wait: 3 kids hospital procedures to get covered for

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Frequently asked questions about health insurance

Do I need Hospital cover?

It’s entirely up to you. Many Australians initially get it to avoid government penalties (the Medicare Levy Surcharge and Lifetime Health Cover loading). But the real value of private hospital insurance is in the freedom and control it gives you over your healthcare.

With Hospital cover, you can go to a private hospital for treatment and your health fund will help cover your costs. You’ll be able to choose your specialist and skip the public hospital waiting list, which means getting treatment at a time that suits you.

Without Hospital cover, you’ll most likely go to a public hospital for treatment where you won’t have a choice of specialist and will have to wait on the public hospital waiting list—which could mean months, or even years before you receive treatment.

Learn more

What’s the difference between General and Major Dental?

General Dental is a category of dental treatment that focuses on minor dental services. It consists of two sub-categories: Preventative Treatments (like scale and cleans and check-ups) and General Restorative Treatments (like simple fillings and extractions).

Major Dental is a category of dental treatment that focuses on complicated services such as root canals, crowns and bridges.

Do kids have to pay excess on hospital visits?

For all hospital cover products currently available for sale, kids pay no excess on hospital visits if they are covered under a family or single parent hospital cover. On child only policies, any applicable excess may still apply to the policy owner.

Is there maternity cover with no waiting period?

No, unfortunately there isn’t. Most health funds, including HBF, have a 12-month waiting period for maternity cover. This helps stop people from signing up for health cover, claiming and leaving soon after, which drives up premiums for all other members of the health fund. Health cover can still be helpful during pregnancy for things like physio and dental. When your baby arrives, you protect them against the unexpected with a family health cover policy.

Get in touch with HBF

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