Death in the family

Notifying HBF

Anyone can notify us of a member’s death by calling us on 133 423 or visiting their nearest branch. Depending on the circumstances, this will trigger a cancellation of the health policy or result in an adjustment to the policy’s premium.

Changes to the member's policy

If the member was on a singles policy, any claims and/or the refunding of premiums paid in advance must be authorised by either the executor of the estate or the administrator.

If the person who passed away was the owner of a couples or family policy, the new owner of the policy, and any other members remaining on the policy, can continue to make claims as normal. Depending on your circumstances, you may also need to register for the Australian Government Rebate on Private Health Insurance. However, if the member who passed away was entitled to a higher rebate than you, and you are the only remaining adult left on the policy, you may be entitled to retain the rebate at that higher level.

If you have concerns about your cover in the event of your death or that of a member on your policy, please call us on 133 423.

Helpful resources

There are many useful services and resources available to assist in dealing with a death in the family. We encourage you to consider the resources below for guidance and support on some of the decisions to make before and following a family member's death:

• MoneySmart (ASIC): Helpful resource to assist you with organising wills and powers of attorney.
• Services Australia: Learn more about how you can register to be an organ donor.
• HealthDirect: Information about end-of-life health.
• Services Australia: Death and bereavement - Australian Government payments, support and other services to help when someone close to you dies.
• Australian Tax Office: Information about deceased estates.
• MoneySmart (Australian Securities and Investments Commission): Financial advice after the loss of a partner.

It is important to grieve and support other family and friends who have been affected by the situation. If you or a loved one need extra support, these organisations can help:

• Mental Health Online: Free online resources and services to help people recognise and deal with mental health difficulties.
• Lifeline / 13 11 14: Lifeline offer 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention services.