As well as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy treatment as part of your cancer cover. This means your cancer insurance in Australia can support you beyond cancer treatment alone.
Eligible Hospital cover options also cover:
Do hospital waiting periods apply?
Whether we’re answering your call, or helping you switch from another health fund, we don’t like to keep people waiting. But unfortunately waiting periods (the time you have to wait before you can claim for treatment) are a necessity. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to offer affordable premiums and generous benefits across our hospital policies, including cancer insurance.
Waiting periods exist so we can protect our members against people who simply join us, claim large amounts and then leave. But we always try to keep waiting periods to an absolute minimum. That’s why, if you join us from another Australian health fund, we’ll take your previous membership into account, so you won’t have to re-serve waiting periods on an equivalent level or lower level of health insurance cover, including private health insurance for cancer patients.
Please note that continuity in cover will not be offered if the financial date paid to with the previous health insurer is greater than 2 months from the commencement date with HIF.
For HIF Hospital cover, the waiting periods are as follows:
- 2 months: General hospitalisation
- 2 months: Psychiatric care, rehabilitation & palliative care (regardless of whether it's pre-existing or not)
- 12 months: All pregnancy and birth related services
- 12 months: Pre-existing conditions or ailments
Will a pre-existing condition affect my cover?
The Pre-Existing Condition waiting period applies to new members and existing members who upgrade their policy to access higher-level benefits. The test applied under the law relies on the presence of signs or symptoms of the illness, ailment or condition, not on a diagnosis (i.e. it’s not necessary for the member or their doctor to know what their condition is or for it to be diagnosed).
In forming an opinion about whether or not an illness is a pre-existing condition, an HIF-appointed medical practitioner will take into account information provided by the member’s treating doctor.
A pre-existing condition is defined as: ‘Any ailment, illness, or condition where, in the opinion of a medical adviser appointed by the health insurer, the signs or symptoms of that illness, ailment or condition existed at any time in the period of six months ending on the day on which the person became insured under the policy.’ Understanding this is especially important for those considering private health insurance for cancer patients, as some treatments may fall under pre-existing condition rules depending on your medical history.
Supporting HIF members with cancer
HIF is delighted to partner with Valion Health's Cancer Support Complete Program. Its aim is to improve the quality of life for HIF members who have had a cancer diagnosis.
Tailored to personal needs, the program is designed to support the physical and mental health of members with cancer. This includes members who are having, or have recently completed, cancer treatment, and those living with advanced cancer. It includes a care plan (which may also include support from a cancer nurse, dietitian, exercise physiologist, psychologist and yoga therapist over a 12-week period).
The Cancer Support Program is available to eligible HIF members at no additional cost through our cancer cover services partner Valion Health. If you’ve been an HIF member with any level of Hospital cover (Excluding Basic Plus) for at least 12 months and meet HIF’s and Valion Health’s eligibility requirements - this treatment program could be a great choice for you. For more details please visit our Valion Health webpage.
1 Private room subject to availability. Effective 1 January 2025, for hospital admissions in New South Wales (NSW) public hospitals, private and shared room accommodation is available (private room subject to availability).
Cancer Insurance FAQ’s
Private health insurance can play an important role in covering cancer treatment in Australia. While Medicare provides access to public hospital treatment, private health insurance for cancer patients offers additional choice, flexibility, and support.
With eligible HIF Hospital cover, members can access private hospital treatment for cancer, choose their treating specialist where available, and receive benefits for approved treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy. Cancer cover may also include access to private rooms, theatre fees, and in-home hospital services where clinically appropriate.
HIF’s cancer insurance is provided through our Hospital cover options. This means cancer cover applies when treatment requires hospital admission and meets clinical eligibility requirements under your policy.
Depending on your level of Hospital cover, cancer insurance with HIF may help cover hospital accommodation, specialist treatment, approved therapies, and access to support services. Like all private health insurance in Australia, benefits are subject to waiting periods, exclusions, and policy terms.
If cancer is considered a pre-existing condition, a 12-month waiting period may apply before benefits are payable. Each case is assessed individually by a medical practitioner appointed by the insurer, based on signs and symptoms rather than diagnosis alone.
Life insurance with cancer and cancer cover are often confused, but they serve different purposes. Life insurance with cancer usually refers to life insurance policies that may provide a lump-sum payment if a serious illness is diagnosed or in the event of death, depending on the policy terms. These policies are designed to provide financial support to dependants rather than cover medical treatment costs.
Cancer cover, on the other hand, is provided through eligible private hospital insurance policies and helps cover the cost of cancer treatment such as hospital care, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy. HIF offers cancer cover through eligible Hospital insurance policies, rather than standalone life insurance products.
Related Articles
View related information about HIF Hospital Cover