ING health insurance review

With 5 hospital plans to choose from, ING likely has something for your needs.

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By

Tim Bennett

Edited by

Joselle Delos Reyes

Updated

Fact checked

ING is relatively new to the health insurance game but, in nib, its policies are underwritten by a major brand.

ING offers a comprehensive suite of hospital and extras policies with some solid features and benefits. You can choose your own provider or use one in its network for lower fees and additional discounts. You can also get Gold member treatment regardless of the tier if you have an accident.

ING health insurance: Our verdict

  • ING's accidental injury benefit gives you Gold Hospital cover for 90 days after an accident even if you're on a lower-tier product.
  • You'll get access to nib's First Choice network of providers to receive competitive fees, discounts and prescription glasses with no gap.
  • Outside of a small benefit for gym memberships and health programs, you may find ING lacking if you're looking for a robust lifestyle program.

What types of health insurance does ING offer?

Hospital
Extras
Additional benefits
Ambulance
Hospital icon

Hospital Coverage

Basic and Bronze policies

ING's most affordable level of hospital cover ticks the boxes for the government's minimum requirement for a Basic policy and offers even more on top. You'll find full cover for 8 clinical categories including:

Great for: Young, fit and healthy Aussies who want to spend the minimum on health cover.

This policy includes cover for all Bronze hospital services plus a few more including:
  • Blood
  • Lung and chest
  • Dental surgery

Great for: The budget-conscious looking for a wider range of coverage.

Silver and Gold policies

ING's Silver Hospital provides cover for 30 clinical categories of the most commonly claimed services including:
  • Heart and vascular system
  • Plastic and reconstructive surgery (medically necessary)
  • Implantation of hearing devices

Great for: Value mid-level cover for those not needing insurance for pregnancy.

The Silver Plus Hospital covers everything required by the government plus additional clinical categories including:

Great for: A higher level cover for those not planning on pregnancy.

The ING Gold Hospital policy covers all 38 clinical categories mandated by the Australian government for all Gold health insurance policies. Some additional cover not found on the ING Silver Plus Hospital policy include:

Great for: The most comprehensive level of hospital cover that will be combined with extras cover.

Extras icon

Extras coverage

ING also offers 4 levels of extras cover with a range of treatments from dental to podiatry:
  • Essential Extras. This provides a 60% benefit on a basic range of extras including general and major dental, physiotherapy and optical.
  • Everyday Extras. This plan has the same benefits as Essential Extras with a higher annual limit. Additional services include natural therapies, remedial massage and health aids.
  • Everyday Advanced Extras. It offers the same range of benefits as Everyday Extras, with additional treatments including orthodontics and podiatry.
  • Premium Extras. ING's top-level extras plan provides a 75% benefit on a full range of services including pre- and post-natal service, hearing aids, eye therapy and home nursing services.
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Additional benefits of cover

In addition to any benefits provided by the policy you choose, ING offers the following to its members:
  • Accidental injury benefit. Regardless of the tier of service you choose, you'll receive benefits in line with ING's Gold Hospital cover for 90 days after an accident.
  • Direct debit discount. Set up a direct debit and save 4% discount of your premiums.
  • nib Choice of provider. You can choose any provider with recognised professional qualifications for extras services such as dental or physio.
  • ING MediGap. Avoid out-of-pocket costs with your hospital cover by ensuring you receive treatment from a specialist who participates in its MediGap scheme.
  • Save even more. ING has partnered with nib to give you access to its First Choice Network. These preferred providers offer competitive fees for some dental treatments and physiotherapy consultations plus discounts and prescription glasses with no gap.
  • Tailored cover. You don't need to choose from a list of specific combined policies. Instead, you can mix and match ING's individual hospital and extras policies.
Ambulance icon

Ambulance coverage

All ING hospital and extras policies include emergency ambulance cover. This includes emergency transport to the hospital, call-out fees and transport between hospitals when required as a result of the first hospital not specialising in the treatment required.

This doesn't mean you're covered for all ambulance expenses. With an ING health insurance policy, you are not covered for:
  • Private ambulance services
  • Private transport services
  • Transport from the hospital to your home
  • Transport between hospitals if the transfer is not required due to medical necessity determined by your treating doctor

Questions you've asked about ING health insurance, answered

Compare other products from ING

Joselle Delos Reyes's headshot
To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Joselle Delos Reyes as part of our fact-checking process.
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Written by

Insurance expert

A seasoned journalist with over 10 years of experience in news, politics and finance reporting, Tim has previously held roles at the ABC, SBS and Fairfax Media. Tim’s expert insights have been quoted in The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, The Courier Mail and more. He regularly appears on TV and radio, and has been interviewed on 7 News, Sunrise, SBS News, ABC Local, 3AW and 5AA. Tim is passionate about simplifying complex insurance topics for Australian consumers. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Politics) from Macquarie University and a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification, which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). If you’re interested in a media interview with Tim, please reach out to our PR team at aupr@finder.com. See full bio

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