health.com.au

health.com.au is an online provider that offers straightforward policy options with an emphasis on flexibility and choice. As of 1 April 2020, it has changed its hospital and extras policies to reflect the new government rules. We've broken down its cover below.

health.com.au membership benefits at a glance

• No excess for kids. Hospital visits for children don't attract any excess fees.
• Emergency ambulance transport. Ambulance cover is included as standard in every health.com.au policy.
• Choose your provider. You aren't forced to visit a provider affiliated with the health fund to receive full cover.
• Direct-debit discount. Opt to pay using direct debit and receive a 4% premium reduction.
• Refer-a-friend bonus. Recommend health.com.au to a friend and receive a $100 Visa gift card when they sign up

Health insurance options

health.com.au offers policies for treatment in and out of hospital. As part of the new government laws, its policies must now meet specific criteria in order to qualify as Basic, Bronze, Silver or Gold. If you see a + next to the policy, it means it offers more than the minimum requirements.

• Hospital Only
• Extras Only
• Combined

Comparison table

Here's an overview of health.com.au's hospital policy inclusions and exclusions.

For a full list of what's included, read the PDS.

What is health.com.au?

health.com.au is a relatively new private health insurer, starting in 2012. GMHBA Limited, a nonprofit company, acquired health.com.au in July 2015. It has won several awards since establishing itself and is the first new private health insurer in Australia since 1976.

How many hospital agreements does health.com.au have in my state?

The benefit you receive from your health fund when you receive hospital services depends not only on the level of cover you choose but also on whether your health fund has an agreement with the hospital where you receive treatment.

Check the table below for details of the number of hospital agreements health.com.au has in each Australian state and territory compared to the maximum of any health fund across the industry:

Additional benefits of health.com.au

There are a number of other features that might make health.com.au the right insurer for you.

• Cooling off period. You can cancel your health.com.au policy within 30 days of purchase and receive a full premium refund.
• Dependents. health.com.au's family and single parent policies cover children until they reach 21 years of age or 25 years of age if they are studying full time.
• Cover outside of Australia. Your health.com.au policy does not cover you for treatment received outside of Australia.
• Suspension of cover. If you do decide to travel overseas or experience financial hardship, you have the option of temporarily suspending your policy if you meet the eligibility criteria.
• Visitors to Australia. health.com.au offers Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) for people on a 457 or 485 visa.
• Methods of payment. Premiums are paid by direct debit from your nominated bank account or credit card.

How to make a claim

There are two ways to make a health insurance claim with health.com.au:

• Swiping your membership card. You can swipe your health.com.au membership card on the spot to claim instantly when you visit a service provider.
• Making an online claim. You also have the option of signing into your health.com.au online account and lodging a claim 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If you receive a medical bill from a practitioner who does not use health.com.au's medical Access Gap Cover scheme, your claim can only be paid after Medicare has assessed your claim for medical services. If the practitioner does participate in the scheme, they will bill health.com.au directly.

Does health.com.au offer Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC)?

Yes! If you're coming to Australia and looking for 457 and 485 visa-compliant health insurance, you can find out more here.