Each year on April 1, health insurers review premium rates on existing Hospital and Extras policies to ensure they can continue to cover the rising cost and increase in demand for healthcare.

These costs continue to rise due to an increase in health service costs such as doctors' charges, new equipment and technology being utilised, including prostheses pricing, and medical technology, and an aging population that has resulted in more claims by health fund members.

As a proudly not for profit health fund, HIF does all it can to avoid increasing our premiums any more than necessary. 

Our 2023 premium increase is our lowest in the past nine years. Just before Christmas, we also gave back $3 million to eligible members in COVID-19 claims savings as part of our commitment to not profiting from the pandemic. 

Our premiums are set to ensure we can cover our predicted expenditure over the coming year. 

Australian private health insurance is based on a principle called community rating which ensures everyone has fair access to private health cover and isn't limited by their claiming history or other factors such as gender or age. So, when premiums change, they change for everyone who holds that product. Your specific premium change depends on several factors, such as the State you live in and the type of cover you're on.

Your final premium amount each year will be a combination of the cover’s premium change, any discounts you have, your Lifetime Health Cover loading and, if applicable, your Australian Government Rebate on private health insurance. 

The calculation of premium increases is subject to external scrutiny.

You can make a prepayment in your Online Member Centre  prior to 31 March to pay your premiums at the current (2022) rate, just follow the steps below:

1. Login to the Online Member Centre. 
2. Go to Payments and click Pay Now.
   If your next payment is due after 31 March, your 1 April premium amount will be displayed.
3. 3. Enter your payment details or overwrite the amount and click ‘submit’ to pay your premiums at the current rate for the duration of that upfront payment.

Don’t have access to the Online Member Centre yet? You can register here.  

This year, we have been exploring ways to help our members and are pleased to announce we are providing some premium relief and addressing affordability concerns.  

• Not increasing premiums for single parent families on Hospital cover 
  We recognise the definition of a family has changed and we have not been as inclusive as we could have been. According to the 2021 Census, there are more than one million one-parent families in Australia. It’s why, with the rising cost of living, we have made a commitment to supporting single parent families by not increasing premiums for single parent families on Hospital cover. 
• Providing benefits on oral contraceptives for all medical conditions (not just acne) from 28 February 2023ⁱ 
  Evidence shows newer oral contraceptives have been effectively prescribed for their non-contraceptive benefits such as treating acne, heavy menstrual bleeding associated with endometriosis, alleviating perimenstrual dysphoric symptoms and dysmenorrhoea. We’ve listened to our members and will now pay benefits on contraceptives if prescribed for a medical condition (not just acne) for Members with Extras cover for Pharmaceuticals.
• Increasing the age limit of student dependantsⁱⁱ 
  HIF has increased the age limit for student dependants from 25 to 31. This means if you have a child who is a full-time student under the age of 31, they can remain on your family’s policy for longer. It’s all part of our commitment to providing choice and access to members and ensuring continuity of cover for younger Australians.

We are also pleased to continue offering Mental Health Navigator  at no extra charge for all HIF members 18 years or older no matter their level of cover.

ⁱ Effective from 28/02/2023. For members on eligible Extras products with cover for Pharmaceuticals (non-PBS) Drugs, Benefits payable up to available limits. Waiting Periods apply. The claim must be accompanied with a letter from the treating medical practitioner to state the medical condition the medication is being prescribed for. Oral contraceptives are excluded where prescribed for the purpose of contraception only.

ⁱⁱ Eligible student dependants can remain covered under a family policy until the age of 31, provided they are registered as a full-time student at a recognised educational institution and are not married or living in a de facto relationship.

We’re here for the long haul (since 1954 in fact) which means we make sure that our members have choice in and access to high quality healthcare when they need it most.

While many people only consider the strain on elective surgery wait times, public hospital emergency departments are also affected by increased waits.

Having private health insurance provides access to the private health system and the choice to select your own hospital, specialist or provider, all freedoms that aren't necessarily available through the public health system. 

Your rate change letter will be sent to your preferred method of communication from 27 February 2023. It will also be available to download from your Online Member Centre (OMC) Inbox from mid-March 2023.

If you’re experiencing financial hardship during these times, contact us on 1300 134 060 to discuss the support we have available.

The average percentage increase is an average across all policies, states and territories, but each product is priced individually depending on the increasing health care costs associated with that product in each state or territory. 

For that reason, some of our rates have gone up less than the average and some more – depending on the costs associated with the particular product or location.

Premiums will change on 1 April 2023. 

You will receive confirmation of your premium change by your preferred form of communication (email or letter) from 27 February 2023. This information will also be available for you to view online via our Online Member Centre (OMC).

No. HIF is a member-owned, not-for-profit health fund. That means HIF has no shareholders to factor in or distribute profit to, so any net operating margin earned as a result of this year's premium increase will be directly added to HIF's reserves to ensure the future payment of claims, review benefits and reduce pressure on any future premium increases. 

If you pay your premiums prior to 31 March, you'll enjoy rate protection for that time. That means you will pay your premiums at the current rate (2022 rate) for the duration of that upfront payment, which can be 12 months’ worth of premiums, six months, three months, one month or one fortnight.

If you do choose to make an upfront payment of 12 months, you will also receive an additional bonus discount of 4% (or 2% for six monthly payments).^*

By paying an advanced rate protection amount you will also retain the Australian Government Rebate on Private Health Insurance that is relevant to your situation prior to the 1 April changes.

^*Terms and conditions apply, see HIF Fund Rules. 

Our Online Member Centre  gives you access to a range of services designed to help you manage your membership, including access to your product fact sheets.

Don’t have access to the Online Member Centre yet? Simply log on to member.hif.com.au here .

Product fact sheets can also be found on our website.

Switching to HIF is easy. Simply join online (it only takes a few minutes) or call us on 1300 134 060 to sign up.

During the online application process, we’ll ask for the name of your current fund, your previous member number and your authorisation to contact your previous fund on your behalf - then we do everything else! No forms to fill in, no paperwork, nothing. 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.