It's great to hear you're planning to switch to HIF! To authorise us to arrange the transfer on your behalf, simply:
- check the box during the online application process
- enter the name of your previous health fund
- enter the membership number on your old policy
Alternatively, if you're joining over the phone, you can instruct your Sales Consultant to complete the authorisation details for you. Once we have your authorisation, we'll then contact your previous fund and request that they send us what's known as a 'Clearance Certificate'.
The certificate provides HIF with all the details we need in order to finalise your new policy with us, including any waiting periods that may still be outstanding, plus any Lifetime Health Cover loading that may apply. Please note that Australian health funds have up to 14 days to issue Clearance Certificates, so if you would like your old fund to issue your certificate as a matter of urgency, please let us know and we can escalate it as a priority request. Alternatively, you can contact your previous fund yourself and submit a direct request for a certificate to be sent to HIF.
Important, please note: If your partner is switching to HIF and would like us to cancel their policy with their previous health fund too, they must provide authorisation. To do this simply ensure they have checked the partner authorisation box during the online application process and enter the name of their previous health fund and membership number of their old policy.
Other key things you need to know about the switching process:
- To ensure that your previously served waiting periods are recognised by HIF, you must switch within 2 months of leaving your previous health fund.
- If you transfer to HIF on an equivalent or lower level of cover, you won't need to re-serve any waiting periods already served with your previous fund for those services for which you were already covered.
Important! If you currently pay your old health fund via direct debit, keep reading...
What is so important, you may ask? The answer - direct debit arrangements. Why? Well, while HIF can submit a policy cancellation request to your old fund on your behalf, the one thing we can't do (for legal reasons) is cancel any standing direct debit arrangements with your previous fund. That means you'll need to contact them personally to cancel your premium contribution.
So once you've joined HIF, just give your old fund a call and let them know the date you've nominated your HIF cover to commence, then request that your membership and direct debit be cancelled on the same day.