nib Health Insurance

In 2013, nib launched Whitecoat, Australia’s largest online directory of healthcare professionals. Whitecoat lets users recommend, rate and review healthcare providers.

What makes nib different

nib strives to offer all Australians the right level of healthcare for their needs at a fair price. Their mission is “to help people access and afford world class healthcare when and where needed.”

With a variety of health coverage plans, nib health cover can be tailored to individual needs and budget. Plans are easy to understand and easy to claim on, and the company prides itself on product innovation, value for money and top-notch customer service.

Besides offering nib health insurance cover in Australia, they offer international cover to Australian expats working and studying abroad. They also focus on supplying cover to international students and workers. Over 130,000 customers now use their private health insurance.

What kinds of cover do nib offer?

NIB health insurance offers hospital and extras packages in a ‘build your own’ format. While they do provide suggestions on what may work for you depending on your lifestyle, the choice is ultimately in your hands when it comes to starting your quote.

At the base level, there are five types of hospital cover:

• Basic Essential Hospital Plus: Cover for the basics, including emergency ambulance, and accidental injury.
• Bronze Hospital Plus: The basics, as well as a budget-friendly selection of common procedures.
• Silver Hospital: More than the basics, without paying for things you’re less likely to need.
• Silver Advantage Hospital Plus: A high level of hospital cover, which excludes pregnancy and some other procedures.
• Gold Top Hospital: The highest level of cover available, covering you for everything.

There’s also an option to choose either a $250, $500 or $750 excess.

Next on offer are four types of extras cover. These include:

• Core Extras: Cover for the essentials, including optical, dental and physiotherapy, with 60% back on each visit, up to your annual limit.
• Core Extras Boost: Just like core extras, but with higher annual limits.
• Core and Wellbeing Extras: Additional services, such as remedial massage and chiropractic on top of Core Extras.
• Top Extras: An extensive range of services with higher annual limits, and 75% back on each visit, up to your annual limit.

To build a plan with NIB health insurance, first choose your desired hospital coverage, along with your preferred excess fee, then decide if you’d like to choose an extras package as well

Which private hospitals does nib health insurance have an agreement with?

As with all private health insurance providers, receiving the full benefit from your hospital cover with nib health insurance depends on whether you’ve gone to one of the private hospitals your insurer has an agreement with.

nib health insurance has agreements with over 70% of the private hospitals in Australia to give you more flexibility. In fact, nib has agreements with private and day hospitals in every state. In order, the most private and day hospitals with agreements are in NSW (171), followed by VIC (123), QLD (85), SA (49), WA (35), ACT (14), TAS (7) and NT (2) ³.

Making a claim with nib health insurance

nib strives to make it as easy as possible to claim on your nib health cover by providing a number of different claiming methods. Once you’ve received medical treatment or made an eligible purchase, you can make a nib claim in a number of different ways.

At the counter you may be able to swipe your nib membership card. 20,000 Australian specialist providers provide HICAPS (Health Industry Claims and Payment Service) which allows this type of claim.

You can claim on the go with nib’s smartphone app. Once you’ve downloaded the app, make sure you’re connected to mobile data or WIFI, then take a photo of your receipt and submit the claim for payment to your bank account within five working days. It’s available on iPhone and Android.

Online, you can log into nib online services, fill in details from your receipt, enter your bank details, and receive a transfer of your benefit from nib into your bank account. Ring nib and ask customer service to process a claim, or visit a nib retail centre to make a claim in person.

Finally, if you’d like to claim by post, fill out a claim form, attach your specialist provider’s invoice and post it to nib. nib will fulfill the claim by bank transfer or cheque. When your claim is the result of a hospital visit, the hospital will usually send the bill to nib for you.

Making payments to nib health insurance

You can choose to pay your nib insurance either monthly or annually. Payment can be made in any of the following ways:

• Direct debit from your bank account or credit card
• At a nib retail centre
• Over the phone
• By post with a cheque
• Australia Post
• BPAY

In addition, customers on a nib Corporate Health Plan also have the option to pay with a payroll deduction.

How to become a member

Get nib health cover with iSelect’s secure and simple online application, or call 13 19 20 and one of our consultants will help with your application.

Make sure you compare policies with us to find the cover that’s right for your needs.

All nib cover information can be found on the nib website.

Sources:
1. https://www.nib.com.au/nib-news/media/2015/07/nib-reaches-magic-milestone-of-one-million-customers
2. https://www.nib.com.au/docs/nib-choosing-the-right-health-cover
3. https://www.nib.com.au/health-information/going-to-hospital/hospital-search