GMHBA Health Insurance
GMHBA Health Insurance
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Long story short
Extra health support in Geelong
Living in greater Geelong and over 55? You could be eligible for GMHBA’s care coordination service to help support those with complex medical conditions.
Post-hospital care at home
GMHBA’s Hospital in Home (HITH) and Rehabilitation in Home (RITH) programs allow you to continue treatment from the comfort of your own home.
Gap free health
GMHBA has a higher number of gap-free health services. 86.7% 1Commonwealth Ombudsman – State of the Health Funds report 2024 – page 19 of their services close the gap between Medicare and you, so you’ll have less to pay.
Waiting periods
For some treatments and extras, you’ll need to wait two to 12 months. But if you’ve already completed your waiting periods with another insurer, GMHBA will recognise this.
Lower premium perks
GMHBA’s excess options let you lower your premium by sharing part of the hospital costs with your insurer. Single excess starts at $500 with families or couples at $1000.
What makes GMHBA different?
Being around for nearly a century isn’t the only reason so many GHMBA members stick around. Here’s what keeps their customers coming back:
Age-based discount
If you’re aged between 18-29, you could be able to score a discount of 2-10% off your GMHBA policy, depending on your age.
60-day money-back guarantee
Sometimes finding the right health insurance fit takes a bit of trial and error. If you aren’t happy with your GMHBA cover within 60 days of joining, you can get a full refund (if you haven’t made any claims).
Community focus
Born and bred in Geelong, GMHBA knows the importance of community support. It’s why they’ve made it their tradition to strengthen their local area through events, health webinars, partnerships and more.
Award-winning service
Winning one award is impressive enough, but in 2023 GMHBA won three five-star awards for their outstanding value for hospital insurance.
What types of policies does GMHBA offer?
With GMHBA you’ve got plenty of options for your health. Whether it’s hospital, extras or combined cover, they’ve got a policy to fit your needs.
- Hospital cover: This covers you as a private patient in a public or private hospital. The level of treatment you’re covered for will vary depending on your policy details.
- Extras cover: For out-of-hospital care and services not covered by Medicare, like dental, physio or optical, extras cover will sort you out. What exactly you are covered for will depend on your level of coverage and policy.
- Combined cover: If you want coverage for anything that life might throw at you, combined policies have all bases covered. If you need to take a trip to the hospital or just want to keep on top of your dental checkups, you’ll be sorted.
- Ambulance cover: You’ll be covered for ambulance services with all GMHBA hospital policies. If you have extras only, it might only cover you for emergency trips or a refund for your state ambulance subscription. Make sure to read through all the details of your policy to know what you’ll be covered for in emergency medical situations.
What other health services does GMHBA offer?
GMHBA is all about helping Australians live their best, healthiest lives. They know that taking care of your health is a lifelong journey, which is why they offer educational resources and support for you.
Post-hospital support programs
Sometimes a hospital stay is unavoidable, but no one wants to stay longer than they have to. GMHBA offers Hospital in the Home (HITH) and Rehabilitation in the Home (RITH) programs to eligible members to get you home quicker.
Hospital in the home (HITH)
Get continued medical care like nursing, intravenous therapy, allied health, and home support all from the comfort of your own home.
Rehabilitation in the home (RITH)
Continue rehab at home with physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dietetics, speech pathology or nursing services to help restore your strength and mobility.
Care Coordination Service (CCS)
If you’re in the greater Geelong area and dealing with complicated health problems, GMHBA’s care coordination service can help. It doesn’t matter what level of hospital cover you hold, you can get support, information and access to health services, at no extra cost.
Chronic Disease Management Program (CDMP)
GMHBA’s chronic disease management program is here to help members maintain their health. Eligible members can access phone-based coaching, care coordination, and strategies to help you stay out of hospital.
What waiting periods apply to GMHBA policies?
All health funds have waiting periods. They pretty much help protect you and your insurer from people joining just to claim and then quickly leave. This means that if you need a treatment or service before your waiting period is up you won’t be able to claim it, even if you submit the claim later.
Waiting periods apply to all new members, existing members upgrading their coverage or when adding a new member to the policy. But remember if you’ve just switched funds to GMHBA, and you’ve already served waiting periods with your previous insurer, GMHBA will honour them.
Hospital waiting periods | |
Accidents that occur after joining with GMHBA | 0 days |
Psychiatric, rehab, palliative care or any other hospital treatment | 2 months |
Pregnancy and pre-existing conditions | 12 months |
Extras waiting periods | |
All extra benefits (except the following outlined below) | 2 months |
Optical, home and domestic aids, and medical aids | 6 months |
Major dental services and health appliances (blood glucose monitors, hearing aids, prostheses etc) | 12 months |
Helpful tip

There’s no place like home when it comes to recovering after hospital treatment. This is why GMHBA offers a range of post-hospital support services from the comfort of your couch.
If you’re in Greater Geelong, you can access their Care Coordination Service, a no-extra cost perk to supporting members with complex or chronic health problems. Not a Geelong local? GMHBA’s Hospital in the Home and Rehabilitation in the Home services are available no matter where you live.
Frequently asked questions
How do I switch to GMHBA?
As with any form of insurance, making sure you’re covered for what you actually need is important. Why pay for something when you don’t need it? To get the most from your policy, it’s a good idea to review your policy around once a year.
If you’ve decided that GMHBA is a better fit for you, making the switch with iSelect is simple. Just give us your previous insurer details and we’ll do the rest. Our team will cancel your old membership, sort out any premium refunds, get a transfer certificate and make sure your new policy starts with no gap coverage. Simple!
Remember, if you’re moving to the same or lower level cover, your waiting periods will carry over. But if you’re upping your coverage, you’ll have to serve waiting periods on any services not covered under your previous policy.
Does GMHBA cover travel insurance?
No, but under all extras policies you’ll be covered for travel vaccinations, so you can rest easy in that department when it comes to your travel preparations.
How do I claim with GMHBA?
Extras
Most extra claims are super easy, just swipe your GMHBA membership card after your appointment. Otherwise, you can claim online, in a local GMHBA branch, or by submitting a claim form via email or post.
Hospital
For hospital claims the process depends on if your hospital has an agreement with GMHBA.
- If your healthcare provider has an agreement with GMHBA: The bill gets sent directly to Medicare and GMHBA. They’ll each pay their part, and you’ll only need to pay any out-of-pocket costs.
- If your healthcare provider isn’t a part of the agreement: You’ll need to fill out a two-way claim form with Medicare, who will send it to GMHBA. They’ll pay any benefits, and you’ll be billed for any remaining costs.
How does excess work with GMHBA?
Excess is the upfront payment if you’re admitted into hospital, but you’ll only have to pay it once a year, even if you are admitted to hospital multiple times. In exchange for having to pay an up-front excess if you’re admitted to hospital, you’ll enjoy lower annual premiums.
This means if your hospital bill is $5000, and you have a $500 excess, you’ll pay the excess and the remaining $4500 will be paid by your insurer. So, if you’re not expecting to make frequent hospital visits, then having an excess on your policy can be a handy way to bring your premiums down.
GHMBA offers two levels of excess. Level 2 is $500 for singles and $1000 for couples and families and level 3 is $750 for singles and $1500 for couples and families.
How do I pay my GMHBA premiums?
When it comes time to pay, GMHBA wants to make it as easy as possible for you. You can choose to pay by direct debit (you can save 2% this way) or by credit card either online or over the phone.
Looking to compare health insurance policies?
Why settle for a standard policy when you can compare and find a policy that fits you like a glove? With iSelect you can compare health insurance from our range of providers and policies to find a policy that suits you. Start comparing online today or call our friendly team on 1800 784 772.
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