HIF Beats the Pack at Rate Rise Time

HIF remains the best value health insurance fund following the Federal Government’s premium increase announcement this afternoon.

The Government approved premium increases, with the weighted average annual increase in private health insurance for 2015 at 6.18 per cent, while HIF has an increase of just 4.49 per cent – significantly lower than all other funds which are accessible by the general public. Of the remaining funds that are classed as 'closed' (such as Teacher's Health or Navy Health) or corporate-only (such as GU Health), HIF was positioned fourth overall.

HIF managing director Graeme Gibson said, “We work hard to provide the best value policies for our members and to keep price rises down to the minimum necessary and we’ve managed to achieve this ahead of almost all other health funds – yet again. It's in our DNA. HIF has kept its premiums low whilst also achieving membership growth of 24 per cent over the past 12 months to January 2015, compared to an industry average of around three percent.”

Want more info? Here's some quick FAQs.

1) Why do premiums go up each year?

Each year on April 1, the health insurance industry (all funds inclusive) raises premium rates on existing products. A number of factors lead to these increases, for example: rising health related expenses, increased doctor charges, medical equipment and technology,  increases in claims frequency, and more. 

2) How do other funds compare this year?

Here’s a quick overview of HIF’s 2015 premium increase compared to other major funds:

• 4.49% - HIF
• 5.96% - HBF
• 5.59% - Bupa
• 6.18% - Industry Average
• 6.26% - Australian Unity 
• 6.43% - GMHBA
• 6.59% - Medibank
• 6.55% - NIB

See the graph below for a full breakdown.

3) Does HIF profit directly from premium increases?

No. Unlike some Australian health funds, HIF is a member-owned, not-for-profit company. This means that the company has no shareholders to report or distribute profit to. Any net operating margin earned as a result of this rate rise will be directly added to the fund’s reserves to ensure the future payment of claims and reduce pressure on any future premium increases.  The Board of HIF, whose role is to represent the best interests of members, would not be acting responsibility if rates were not increased at this time

4) I’m an HIF member. By how much is my membership contribution increasing and when are the new rates effective from?

The exact details of how the premium increase will affect you personally will be communicated to you in writing prior to the 1st of April 2015. 

5) I’m currently with another fund but I’d like to switch to HIF. What do I need to do?

Switching to HIF is easy as. Simply call our friendly sales team on 1300 13 40 60 or join online (it only takes a few minutes). During the online application process, we’ll ask for the name of your current fund,  your member number there, and your authorisation to contact your previous fund on your behalf - then we do everything else! No forms to fill in, no paperwork, nothing. We’ll also honour your previous length of membership, meaning that you receive the highest benefits applicable to your new level of cover, and you don’t have to re-serve any unnecessary waiting periods.