Things you should know
It’s helpful to understand the potential impact of not having health insurance.
Lost tax savings
If you earn over $101,000 as a single or $202,000 as a couple or family, you may be charged a tax called the Medicare Levy Surcharge if you don’t have hospital cover.
Waiting periods
If you are without cover for more than 2 months, you may need to re-serve waiting periods.
Public hospital waiting lists
The wait for common elective procedures like tonsil removals and knee replacements can be long.
Lifetime Health Cover loading explained
If you cancel and take out hospital cover later in life, a loading of 2% will be applied to your premium for each year you’re over the age of 30 without hospital cover.
Frequently asked questions
I'm having trouble affording my health insurance premiums, what support is available to me?
We know life can get complicated and there may be times when you experience difficulty keeping your premiums up to date. Our customer service team can talk to you about ways to manage your payments and ensure you are on a plan that’s right for your needs. To learn more about managing the cost of your health insurance, or if you are experiencing financial hardship, call us today on 133 423.
Read more on how to save on health insurance.
Read more on how to save on health insurance.
I want to switch to another health insurance fund.
We want you to have the best health insurance cover for your needs. So here’s why you should stay with us:
- Not for Profit – with no shareholders to pay, our members are our number one priority
- Mix and match our hospital and extras products to create cover that’s right for you
- Experience you can trust – we’ve been helping our members navigate health insurance and the healthcare system for over 80 years
I don’t feel like i’m getting value from my health insurance. How can i get more from membership?
Here are three quick ways to get more value:
- Use your cover in everyday life, not just to fix you when you’re broken. Here’s a cheat sheet with more than 15 ways to get more value, including special deals, discounts and programs you may not know about.
- Use the HBF Member Plus network to help minimise your out-of-pocket costs.
- Change your level of cover to better suit your needs. Try our 3 minute recommendation tool.
Can I pause my cover when travelling overseas?
If you’re going overseas for an extended period of time, you can put your cover on hold so you don’t have pay for your health insurance while you’re away, re-serve waiting periods or be affected by Lifetime Health Cover when you return. For more information, give us a call.
Additional support and services
Make sure you’re always getting exactly what you need from your cover.
