Blog article
Elective surgery 101: Submitting your claim to HBF
That’s why we’ve made the claiming process as simple as possible, so you can focus on what truly matters – your recovery.
Understanding your bill
After your hospital stay, you may receive bills from both the hospital and various specialists. It’s important to understand that these bills may arrive at different times, sometimes weeks or even months after your procedure.
Hospital bills: These bills typically cover accommodation, nursing care, theatre costs, food, pharmaceuticals, prostheses, and additional items like pressure stockings and incidentals. In most cases, hospitals will send their bills directly to HBF for payment. However, if there are any out-of-pocket expenses, you may receive a hospital bill to cover those costs.
Specialist bills: You may also receive bills from your specialist and other providers involved in your care, such as an anaesthetist, pathologist, radiologist, assistant surgeon, or allied health professionals. If you receive a specialist bill, you can submit it to HBF for assessing. However, if you’ve already paid the bill, you’ll need to submit it to Medicare first before claiming with HBF.
Claiming your medical bills
If we have an agreement with your chosen specialist or provider, they’ll handle the claims process for you by submitting their bill directly to Medicare and HBF. However, if there’s no agreement in place, they’ll bill you directly.
In this case, you’ll need to claim from Medicare first. Once you’ve received your Medicare Statement of Benefit form, send it to us for further assessment and processing.
Statement of benefits
After your hospital and medical claims have been processed, we’ll send you a statement outlining what has been paid on your behalf. Be sure to review these details carefully and reach out to us immediately if anything seems incorrect.
Key things to remember:
- You must make a claim within two years of the date of service.
- Set up direct credit in myHBF so that we can automatically credit funds to your bank account as soon as your claim is processed.
How to submit a claim
Submitting your claims is easy with HBF. You have several options to choose from:
Claim online:
Log in to myHBF and submit your claim at any time. Simply upload your bill or receipts, and we’ll take care of the rest.
Use the HBF App:
Our app, available for both Apple and Android devices, allows you to submit claims by simply taking a photo of your bill or receipts.
Claim at a local branch:
Visit your nearest HBF branch with your member card and the relevant bills or receipts, and our friendly team will process your claim on the spot. If you’ve already claimed from Medicare for in-hospital medical services, be sure to bring the Medicare Statement of Benefit as well.
