Gold Hospital Elevate: Travel and accommodation benefits

Gold Hospital Elevate covers travel and accommodation benefits for you and your carer when associated with a hospital admission for an included treatment. HBF will pay up to $100 per admission for combined travel costs, and $50 per night up to a total of $150 per admission for combined accommodation costs, for you and your carer. Benefits apply to travel of at least 200 km (return trip) from the member’s usual place of residence to the hospital. Benefits are only available for accommodation provided by non-hospital, commercial accommodation providers. For benefits to be paid towards a carer’s travel or accommodation, the carer must be required to either support you during your travel or be present as an integral part of the management of your condition.

Benefit is payable for the:

• cost of transportation tickets such as taxi, train, bus or plane tickets;
• cost of fuel where the member, or their carer, is driving their own vehicle; and/or
• cost of non-hospital, commercial accommodation for either the member or their carer.

You need to stay close to the hospital in non-hospital commercial accommodation, such as hotels, motels or Airbnb, either immediately before and/or after your hospital admission.

Accommodation may be payable for your carer during your hospital admission, as long as they are required to support your travel or their presence is integral to the management of your condition.

You can claim after serving the initial 2 month waiting period, provided you have met all the eligible criteria for your relevant claim.

You will not be covered for:

• accommodation and travel costs associated with treatment received within 200 km (return journey) of your usual place of residence;
• costs associated with treatment where there is no Hospital benefit payable for that treatment, this includes cosmetic treatment, outpatient treatment and treatment when you are admitted as a public patient;
• costs covered by a State Government Scheme, worker’s compensation, third party or other legal right; and
• costs associated with goods or services that are incidental to travel or accommodation, such as meals or parking.

Yes, you can be covered when traveling Interstate. To be eligible to claim, you must travel 200 km or more (return trip) from your residential address to the hospital.

Your cover excludes treatment outside of Australia, so you are not able to claim for overseas travel and accommodation costs.