HBF Health Insurance

All HBF hospital and extras policies include HBF Urgent Ambulance cover (providing that ambulance cover is necessary in your state). Non-Urgent Ambulance can be purchased through an Ambulance Care add-on.

If you’re a Queensland or Tasmanian resident, your state government will cover your ambulance costs, so Urgent Ambulance cover isn’t available to you. Every state’s ambulance fees are a little different, so find out more details about ambulance services and cover here.

Yes, you can still purchase HBF Health Insurance for pre-existing conditions. However, for pre-existing conditions, the waiting period is 12 months. Pre-existing conditions will not affect the waiting periods for extras cover.

Yes, like all health funds, HBF Health Insurance has waiting periods.

The waiting periods for hospital cover are 12 months for pre-existing conditions and pregnancy and birth services. For everything else, the waiting period is 2 months.

For extras cover, HBF’s waiting periods are:

• 2-12 months: Foot Orthoses and Appliances
• 12 months: Major dental (root canals, crowns, bridges), dental implants and orthodontics, hearing aids
• 2 months: All other services.

If you’re upgrading your level of cover or switching to HBF from another fund, any previously served waiting periods will be honoured. Always check your policy documentation for more details regarding your waiting periods.

You can make a health insurance claim with HBF on the spot with your provider, online through myHBF, through the HBF App or through HBF branches (WA only).

For hospital procedures, your claim will be submitted directly by the hospital in most cases. For extras cover, most providers will offer the option to ‘claim on the spot’ through a terminal. If this option is not available, you can make your claim online, via mail or at your nearest HBF branch, if available.

There is a range of payment methods available to HBF members, including direct debit, paying online via myHBF or paying over the telephone. You have the option of pre-paying your health policy 18 months in advance. Depending on the product, you may be eligible for a premium discount if you pay annually.

Yes, you will likely have to pay an excess when you make a claim on your hospital cover. When you purchase HBF hospital cover from Compare the Market, you’ll need to choose an excess level ($250, $500 or $750). Higher excess means you’ll pay a lower premium and vice versa. Not all excess levels are available across all policies.

To cancel your HBF Health Insurance, simply give them a call and a team member can guide you through the process. When you purchase or upgrade a policy, you’ll have a 30-day cooling-off period to decide whether it is right for you. If you decide to cancel within these 30 days, you’ll receive a refund for any premiums paid, as long as you haven’t made a claim.