
Going overseas? We're here to help
Suspending your cover while overseas
You won’t need to pay
Your length of membership won’t change
You won’t serve waiting periods again
No Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) loading
Am I eligible to suspend?
You have held an eligible cover with HBF for at least 12 months
Your policy has been active for the required time since your last suspension
You have notified us of your suspension date before you head off overseas
How long can I suspend my membership for? Two months is the minimum amount of time any member can suspend their cover. Australian residents can suspend their membership for a maximum of three years, while members who hold overseas visitors health cover can suspend their membership for a maximum of six months.
If you plan to be overseas for less than two months, it’s important you maintain your existing membership.
Suspension FAQs
I suspended my policy to travel overseas. What do I need to do when I return to Australia?
You need to contact us within two months of returning to Australia to re-activate your cover. You will need to provide us with proof of travel in the form of e-tickets or boarding passes detailing the dates for both your departure and return flights into Australia. We may request an International Movement Record, this is available from the Department of Immigration.
If your policy isn't reactivated within the required time frame or fails to meet the resumption requirements, your suspension will be cancelled, and we’ll offer a new membership where all applicable waiting periods will apply.
Can I suspend other members on my policy?
I suspended my policy to travel overseas. What happens if I don’t resume my cover when I return?
If your cover isn’t resumed within the required time period, we may not be able to grant your full length of membership benefits and your suspension will be cancelled. A new membership may be offered and you will need to re-serve waiting periods.
Also, if you don’t resume your cover, every day from the day you return will count towards the Australian Government’s Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) loading.
LHC loading is an extra cost applied to the price of hospital cover. Each year you wait to get hospital cover after the age of 31, you’ll pay an extra 2% for your cover.
I suspended my policy to travel overseas. What happens if I am overseas for longer than three years?
If I suspend my cover to travel overseas, will I be able to have the same cover when I return to Australia?
Will the Medicare Levy Surcharge still apply while my policy is suspended?
In addition to overseas travel suspensions, does HBF offer other types of suspensions?
In addition to suspensions for overseas travel, members can apply to suspend their policy for a minimum of two months up to a maximum of three years, while they are serving with the Australian Defence Force or for imprisonment. Members have two months upon completion of service or release to resume their policy.
For members with overseas visitors health cover, you can have one period of suspension every three years, for any period from two to six months. So, if you want to return overseas for a short period of time, it’s important you maintain your existing HBF membership as part of your visa condition in maintaining adequate health cover while in Australia.
If you’re experiencing financial hardship there are ways we can help you. Give us a call on 133 423 and, depending on your current situation and how long you’ve been a member with HBF, we can discuss your options.
More ways we can help
