Switch today to enjoy great value health cover with top notch member service
To authorise us to arrange the transfer on your behalf, simply check the box during the online application process and enter the name of your previous health fund and your member number. Alternatively, if you're joining over the phone, just ask your friendly Sales Consultant to input those 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, confirming your previous level of cover.
What's a clearance certificate?
A clearance 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.
Other important things you need to know about the switching process
To ensure that all 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! Paid your previous health fund via direct debit? Keep reading…
Here’s the scoop – if you’ve given us the green light to cancel your old policy, we will handle all of the paperwork and submit the cancellation request on your behalf – easy done!
While most health funds will cancel your direct debit at the same time as your policy, there is just one small thing you’ll need to keep in mind, for legal reasons, HIF can’t cancel the direct debit arrangements linked to your previous fund.
So, if your premiums are being paid via direct debit, you may still need to cancel that arrangement to avoid any extra payments – a small, quick check on your end, and we’ll handle the rest – teamwork makes the dream work!
Handy tip!
Want to avoid that awkward conversation with your old health fund? Don't worry, simply contact your bank instead and they can cancel the direct debit for you.