GUIDES & RESOURCES

HCF Health Insurance

Founded in 1932, HCF is Australia’s largest not-for-profit health insurance provider1. This means that all money they make goes back into providing better services and cheaper premiums for you.
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Updated 17/08/2023
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Updated sources, added new sections: ‘How much does HCF cost?’ and ‘When do HCF limits reset’.
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Written by

Francis Taylor

Updated 17/08/2023

What changed?

Updated sources, added new sections: ‘How much does HCF cost?’ and ‘When do HCF limits reset’.
Our aim is to help you make better informed decisions. That’s why iSelect’s content is produced in accordance with our fact-checking and editorial guidelines.

Find out more about how we make money.

View our Privacy Policy.

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What makes HCF different?

HCF is a fully Australian owned provider that boasts over 1.5 million members—and it’s easy to see why2. With a commitment to high-quality customer care, they constantly aim to improve their services: something that’s reflected in their most recent performance figures.

According to their 2022 Annual Report, HCF ranks #1 in customer satisfaction when compared to their major competitors. They’ve also paid out more benefits than the industry average over the last 10 years3. This is in addition to the following achievements4:

90% given back in benefits for every dollar paid in premiums
51,000 medical specialists in HCF’s network
98% of medical services covered had no gap or a known gap

And when it comes to working out facts and figures, HCF’s cost indicator tools can help you understand how much you’re likely to pay out of pocket for common procedures and hospital treatments.

HCF has also developed the ‘Dr Gap’ tool in partnership with the digital health platform Healthshare5. This incredibly handy tool can be used to find specialists who charge no gap or known gap costs (capped at $500 per specialist) when you’re treated at a private hospital6.

How much does HCF insurance cost?

As with any provider, this depends on a range of things: your age, your level of cover, how much you’re willing to pay as an excess, and many other factors.

However, that being said, we can still look at some of the possible costs+ of HCF’s policies:

  • Their most basic hospital cover, Hospital Bronze Plus, can start from $22.70 per week7.
  • Their most basic extras cover, Starter Extras, can start from $3.25 per week8.
  • Their most basic combined cover, My Future Basic Plus Hospital plus My Future 500 extras, can start from $25.40 per week9.

Now, keep in mind that these are general estimates, and your own premium might be calculated differently. So don’t just jump into a policy immediately! Contact us today to find out what your own premium might be from our range of policies and providers*.

+ Quotes are based on figures provided by HCF’s website for Under-65s living in Victoria who are eligible for the Base Tier Private Health Insurance Rebate. These figures exclude the Lifetime Health Cover loading and were calculated as of the 1/05/2023.

What types of cover do HCF offer?

Hospital cover:

HCF offer the following levels of hospital cover through iSelect10:

  • Accident Only Basic: Cover for accidents only 
  • Hospital Bronze Plus: Joint reconstructions, kidney and bladder, digestive system 
  • Hospital Standard Silver Plus: Digestive system, heart and vascular system, back, neck and spine 
  • Hospital Silver Plus: Heart and vascular system, cataracts, joint replacements 
  • Hospital Premium Gold: Pregnancy and birth, assisted reproductive services and hospital psychiatric services 
  • My Future Basic Plus Hospital: Can only be taken with My Future Extras, offers joint reconstructions, hernia and appendix and dental surgery 

Extras cover:

HCF offer the following levels of Extras cover through iSelect11.

  • Starter Extras: 100% back on one dental check per year at participating providers, as well as basic extras cover on a range of therapies 
  • Starter Extras (with optical): 100% back on one dental check per year at participating providers, optical including glasses and contact lenses at participating providers, cover on a range of therapies. 
  • Mid Extras: 100% back on two dental checks per year at participating providers, prescription glasses at participating providers excluding add-ons, cover on a range of therapies 
  • Vital Extras: Comprehensive extras cover, access to all of the HCF More for you no-gap services, increasing loyalty limits each year 
  • Top Extras: HCF’s most comprehensive extras cover, highest annual limits, increasing loyalty limits each year 
  • My Future 250 Extras: Can only be taken with My Future Basic Plus hospital cover, $900 combined limit plus $180 optical. More for eyes, and more for muscles. Teeth whitening (as provided by your dentist) 
  • My Future 500 Extras: Can only be taken with My Future Basic Plus hospital cover, $750 combined extras limit, plus $180 for optical. More for eyes and more for muscles, teeth whitening (as provided by your dentist) 
  • My Future 750 Extras: Can only be taken with My Future Basic Plus hospital cover, $600 combined extras limit, more for muscles, teeth whitening provided by your dentist 

For a comprehensive list of HCF’s Extra policies, visit the HCF website. 

When do HCF’s Extras limits reset?

If you choose to take out Extras cover, then you’ll probably notice that there are annual limits for how much you can claim on certain health services. 

This is true for all insurers. But these limits are rarely the same across all treatments and services, and they can also differ depending on the provider or the policy you take out. 

This being said, these limits usually reset on a predictable basis. For the most part, HCF uses annual limits for their Extras policies and these limits reset on the 1st of January every year12. 
 
However, be aware that this is not the case for every treatment or service. For instance, there is a life-time limit to how much you can claim for orthodontics that doesn’t reset, and the limits for dentures and hearing aids renew every three years13. This is why it’s always a good idea to check the policy brochure and learn which specific limits apply. 

How do you make a claim with HCF?

Let’s say 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 ways14.

  1. On the spot: Use your HCF membership card in conjunction with your service provider’s 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?

Through iSelect, your HCF premiums can be paid via direct debit fortnightly, monthly or yearly.

How do you become an HCF member?

Keen to see if HCF is right for you? Call 1800 784 772 to have one of our helpful consultants talk you through your options from our range of providers and policies. 

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Sources:
1 HCF - 2022 Year In Review (Page 3) 
2 As above (Page 10) 
3 As above 
4 As above (Pages 2 & 16)
5 As above (Page 8)
6 HCF - Tools to help you prepare for hospital 
7 HCF - Hospital Bronze Plus cover summary 
8 HCF - Starter Extras cover summary
9 HCF - My Future 500 Basic Plus cover summary 
10 HCF - Health Cover Brochure: 1 January 2023 (Page 7)
11 As above 

12 HCF - 5 Ways To Get Value 
13 HCF - Health Cover Brochure: 1 January 2023 (Pages 8)  
14 HCF - Claims and Payments FAQs 

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