Is HCF and Bupa the same?

No. HCF and Bupa are different health insurance brands and are not part of the same network.

HCF is owned by the Hospitals Contribution Fund of Australia.

What benefits do you get with HCF?

The benefits you receive from HCF depend on which policy you take out and any waiting periods you may have served. Always read your PDS carefully to understand benefits and exclusions.

HCF Health Insurance Review

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3.8 (699 reviews) Write a review

Our verdict

Pros

If you're looking for Gold standard hospital cover, HCF's policy is one of the cheapest.
HCF's Bronze Plus policy is cheaper than average, at around $91 a month.

Cons

If you're just looking for cheap cover, Frank, ahm and Bupa all offer lower-cost hospital cover.
HCF had a sub-standard complaints record in the last financial year.
There's no Basic hospital policy available. The lowest level of cover is Basic Plus.

HCF health insurance

HCF has a range of health insurance policies available. Remember, the best health insurance for you will depend on a range of factors so it can be beneficial to compare many options.

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Treatments	Price
HCF HOSPITAL BRONZE PLUS $750 EXCESS Bronze$750 excess	Joint reconstructions Ear nose and throat Blood Back neck and spine Dental surgery Eye excluding cataracts Cancer Lung and chest +18 other treatments covered	$22.29 per week	Get up to 8 weeks free after the first year, plus 2 month waiting periods waived, on eligible combined cover. Ends 20 Apr 2026. T&Cs apply.	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
HCF Hospital Basic Plus $750 Excess Basic$750 excess	Rehabilitation Joint reconstructions Dental surgery Hernia and appendix Eye excluding cataracts Pain management Gynaecology Lung and chest +4 other treatments covered	$19.11 per week	Get up to 8 weeks free after the first year, plus 2 month waiting periods waived, on eligible combined cover. Ends 20 Apr 2026. T&Cs apply.	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
HCF HOSPITAL STANDARD SILVER PLUS Silver$750 excess	Lung and chest Back neck and spine Cataracts Joint replacements Blood Dental surgery Palliative care Pregnancy and birth +24 other treatments covered	$27.77 per week	Get up to 8 weeks free after the first year, plus 2 month waiting periods waived, on eligible combined cover. Ends 20 Apr 2026. T&Cs apply.	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
HCF HOSPITAL SILVER PLUS $750 EXCESS Silver$750 excess	Lung and chest Back neck and spine Cataracts Joint replacements Blood Dental surgery Palliative care Pregnancy and birth +26 other treatments covered	$41.58 per week	Get up to 8 weeks free after the first year, plus 2 month waiting periods waived, on eligible combined cover. Ends 20 Apr 2026. T&Cs apply.	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
HCF Hospital Optimal Gold $750 Excess Gold$750 excess	Cataracts Joint replacements Palliative care Pregnancy and birth Sleep studies Weight loss surgery Rehabilitation Insulin pumps +30 other treatments covered	$76.68 per week	Get up to 8 weeks free after the first year, plus 2 month waiting periods waived, on eligible combined cover. Ends 20 Apr 2026. T&Cs apply.	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading

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8 of 8 results

Treatments	Price
HCF STARTER EXTRAS (WITH OPTICAL) Extras cover	General dental Major dental Optical Physiotherapy Chiropractic Psychology Remedial massage Hearing aids +1 other treatments covered	$4.12 per week	Get up to 8 weeks free after the first year, plus 2 month waiting periods waived, on eligible combined cover. Ends 20 Apr 2026. T&Cs apply.	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
HCF AMBULANCE ONLY Extras cover	General dental Major dental Optical Physiotherapy Chiropractic Psychology Remedial massage Hearing aids	$1.19 per week	Get up to 8 weeks free after the first year, plus 2 month waiting periods waived, on eligible combined cover. Ends 20 Apr 2026. T&Cs apply.	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
HCF STARTER EXTRAS Extras cover	General dental Major dental Optical Physiotherapy Chiropractic Psychology Remedial massage Hearing aids +1 other treatments covered	$3.12 per week	Get up to 8 weeks free after the first year, plus 2 month waiting periods waived, on eligible combined cover. Ends 20 Apr 2026. T&Cs apply.	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
HCF FLEX MY EXTRAS Extras cover	General dental Major dental Optical Physiotherapy Chiropractic Psychology Remedial massage Hearing aids +1 other treatments covered	$6.99 per week	Get up to 8 weeks free after the first year, plus 2 month waiting periods waived, on eligible combined cover. Ends 20 Apr 2026. T&Cs apply.	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
HCF MID EXTRAS Extras cover	General dental Major dental Optical Physiotherapy Chiropractic Psychology Remedial massage Hearing aids +2 other treatments covered	$8.38 per week	Get up to 8 weeks free after the first year, plus 2 month waiting periods waived, on eligible combined cover. Ends 20 Apr 2026. T&Cs apply.	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
HCF Choose My Extras Extras cover	General dental Major dental Optical Physiotherapy Chiropractic Psychology Remedial massage Hearing aids +4 other treatments covered	$11.59 per week	Get up to 8 weeks free after the first year, plus 2 month waiting periods waived, on eligible combined cover. Ends 20 Apr 2026. T&Cs apply.	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
HCF VITAL EXTRAS Extras cover	General dental Major dental Optical Physiotherapy Chiropractic Psychology Remedial massage Hearing aids +6 other treatments covered	$14.62 per week	Get up to 8 weeks free after the first year, plus 2 month waiting periods waived, on eligible combined cover. Ends 20 Apr 2026. T&Cs apply.	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
HCF TOP EXTRAS Extras cover	General dental Major dental Optical Physiotherapy Chiropractic Psychology Remedial massage Hearing aids +6 other treatments covered	$19.36 per week	Get up to 8 weeks free after the first year, plus 2 month waiting periods waived, on eligible combined cover. Ends 20 Apr 2026. T&Cs apply.	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading

Showing 8 of 8 results

3 of 3 results

Treatments	Price
HCF MY FUTURE 750 BASIC PLUS Basic$750 excess	Hospital Rehabilitation Joint reconstructions Dental surgery Hernia and appendix +7 other treatments covered Extras General dental Major dental Optical Hearing aids +6 other treatments covered	$24.39 per week	Get up to 8 weeks free after the first year, plus 2 month waiting periods waived, on eligible combined cover. Ends 20 Apr 2026. T&Cs apply.	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
HCF MY FAMILY SILVER PLUS $750 EXCESS Silver$750 excess	Hospital Lung and chest Back neck and spine Cataracts Joint replacements +28 other treatments covered Extras General dental Major dental Optical Hearing aids +7 other treatments covered	$51.37 per week	Get up to 8 weeks free after the first year, plus 2 month waiting periods waived, on eligible combined cover. Ends 20 Apr 2026. T&Cs apply.	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
HCF MY FAMILY ADVANCED SILVER PLUS $750 EXCESS Silver$750 excess	Hospital Lung and chest Back neck and spine Cataracts Joint replacements +28 other treatments covered Extras General dental Major dental Optical Hearing aids +10 other treatments covered	$56.95 per week	Get up to 8 weeks free after the first year, plus 2 month waiting periods waived, on eligible combined cover. Ends 20 Apr 2026. T&Cs apply.	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading

Showing 3 of 3 results

How to make a claim

There are lots of ways to claim on your HCF policy, including:

On the spot - Use your membership card to claim at your service provider.
Online - Use the online member services portal or the My Membership app.
In person - Visit a HCF branch to claim in-store.
By post - Send a completed claim form and receipts to HCF, GPO Box 4242, Sydney, NSW, 2001.

Complaints info

HCF has a sub-standard complaints record. In the last financial year, it claimed 12.5% of market share but accounted for 13.5% of private health insurance complaints lodged to the Commonwealth Ombudsman. This means it received a higher-than-average share of complaints.

Congratulations, HCF!

HCF was a big winner in the 2025 Finder Awards.

Winner, Best Basic Hospital Health Insurance: Hospital Basic Plus $750 Excess
Winner, Best Bronze Hospital Health Insurance: HOSPITAL BRONZE PLUS $750 EXCESS
Highly commended, Best Silver Hospital Health Insurance: HOSPITAL STANDARD SILVER PLUS
Highly commended, Best Comprehensive Extras Health Insurance: VITAL EXTRAS

Full list of 2025 health insurance winners

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Name
Get up to 8 weeks free Ends 20 April 2026 Get up to 8 weeks free after the first year, plus 2 month waiting periods waived, on eligible combined cover. T&Cs apply. Get deal		loading Fetching your data...

Showing 1 of 1 result

"I've had HCF ambulance cover for years now, and it's given me the peace of mind that I need. There's nothing worse than having to worry about the cost of an ambulance when you need it."

Tim Bennett

Insurance expert

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Written by

Nicola Middlemiss

Journalist

Nicola Middlemiss is a journalist with nearly a decade of experience in personal finance and insurance. She has contributed to Domain, Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine and Insurance Business Australia, offering in-depth insights into commercial insurance in the Australian market. Nicola holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Leeds and a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification, which complies with ASIC standards. See full bio

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Nicola has written 252 Finder guides across topics including:

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HCF health insurance review