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HCF Health Insurance
HCF are Australia’s largest not-for-profit health insurance provider. Founded in 1932, HCF is Not-for-profit meaning all money made goes back into providing better services and cheaper premiums for you. HCF are fully Australian owned and boast 1.5 million members. HCF’s 2020 goal is to make their healthcare, “understandable, affordable, high-quality and customer-centric.
What makes HCF different?
HCF health insurance aim to improve their services constantly, and this is reflected in their most recent performance figures. According to their 2017 Annual Report1, HCF also perform better than the industry average in medical gap coverage and operating expense ratio metrics. Here are some facts and figures that help HCF stand out from the crowd.
And when it comes to working out the facts and figures, HCF’s ‘Preparing for Hospital Website and Cost Indicator Tool2’, helps you understand how much outlay you’ll need to prepare for based on the treatments you will receive.
HCF has also formed a partnership with digital health platform ‘Healthshare’, which links members with the most conveniently located specialists3 who participate in their ‘no gaps’ and ‘known gaps’ schemes.
What types of cover do HCF offer?
The basics:
When it comes to making a private health insurance comparison, it’s essential for you to know the basics.
HCF offers four levels of cover.
● Basic Hospital: This covers you for essential treatment in a private hospital that accepts HCF members and includes emergency ambulance cover.
● Mid Hospital: The next step up in price from basic, this level covers a wider range of hospital treatments including heart surgery, and joint reconstruction.
● Mid Plus Hospital: What you might consider a ‘low-premium’ style of cover. This level allows you to receive benefits from rehabilitation services and complex procedures like eye surgery.
● Premium Hospital: Is the only hospital insurance policy offered by HCF that waives the excess for day procedures and covers all pregnancy and birth-related services.
Each of these four policies can be with or without extras included.
Extras:
Extras cover is a type of health insurance cover for out of hospital medical treatment, also known as general treatment.
HCF Extras cover include the following benefits and more:
● Dental: Fillings, crowns, extractions, periodontics, endodontics.
● Treatments: Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychology.
● Therapies: Acupuncture, remedial massage, naturopathy, osteopathy.
● Complex therapies: Podiatry, speech pathology.
● Hearing aids and other medical aides
HCF Gold or Platinum extras reward loyal members with increasing annual limits. This means the longer you keep your coverage in place, the more you are allowed to claim.
For example, holding Gold dental cover for one year allows you to claim $950 up from $800 in year two. Holding Gold dental cover for three years allows you to claim $1,100.4
Holding Platinum dental cover for one year allows you to claim an $1,150 up from $1,000 in year two. This increases to $1,300 in year three5.
This cover applies to all therapies and treatments listed in Extras.
How do you make a claim with HCF?
You’ve received treatment for something covered by your plan. Now it’s time to claim some of it back. Making a claim with HCF can be done in five different ways.
1. On the spot: Use your HCF membership card in conjunction with your service providers HICAPS electronic claim system. The claim will be settled right away.
2. Use the Mobile App: Use your phone to photograph your receipt and send it to HCF for processing.
3. Online: For selected extras only. Login to your account. Fill out the details required. Mail the original receipt to: HCF, GPO BOX 4242, SYDNEY NSW 2001
4. In person: Go to your local HCF branch with your membership cards and receipts.
5. By mail: Fill out a claim form and attach your receipt. Post them to HCF, GPO BOX 4242, SYDNEY NSW 2001
How do you make payments?
Like many service providers, HCF offer a variety of simple and straightforward ways to pay, but first, you need to complete the relevant section of HCF’s payment authority form6.
Whether you decide it’s best to pay weekly monthly or yearly you can pay:
● Through your employer
● By EZIPAY direct debit
● By credit card
● As a group payroll deduction through participating employers.
How do you become an HCF member?
Keen to join HCF? Just have your Medicare card at the ready and log on to our secure application. Or call 13 19 20 to have one of our helpful consultants arrange your HCF membership.
iSelect does not compare all products in the market. Not all products are available at all times.
All HCF plan information can be found on the HCF website.
Sources:
1- https://www.hcf.com.au/content/dam/hcf/pdf/about-us/2017%20Year%20in%20Review.pdf
2- https://www.hcf.com.au/preparing-for-hospital/cost-indicator-links
3- https://www.hcf.com.au/content/dam/hcf/pdf/about-us/2017%20Year%20in%20Review.pdf
4- https://www.hcf.com.au/insurance/health/private-healthcare-explained/getting-loyalty-benefits
5- https://www.hcf.com.au/insurance/health/private-healthcare-explained/getting-loyalty-benefits
6- https://www.hcf.com.au/pdf/PaymentAuthorityForm.pdf