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nib health insurance review
Our verdict: nib has a good value Basic Essential Hospital Plus policy and some comprehensive inclusions on extras coverage. However, most of nib's hospital policies are more expensive than many of its major competitors.
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Pros
nib's accidental injury benefit gives you access to Gold Hospital cover for 90 days after the accident – not many funds offer this.
"Basic Essential Hospital Plus" is a good value policy, covering 9 treatments from around $83.77 a month. However, Bupa's "Basic Plus Starter Hospital" is cheaper and covers 9 services.
nib's Bronze, Silver and Gold hospital policies are more expensive than comparable policies from other funds like Medibank and Bupa.
nib received proportionally more complaints than other big health funds including HBF, Bupa and Medibank.
Well done, NIB
nib's Basic Essential Hospital Plus policy came in third place for our Basic category in the 2023 Finder Awards. It costs around $18 per week and covers treatments including tonsils, adenoids and grommets, hernia and appendix and miscarriage and termination of pregnancy.
Most of nib's hospital policies aren't among the cheapest on the market, although "Basic Essential Hospital Plus" offers good value. The extras policies that nib offers are more competitively priced, although it lacks a very basic extras policy.
nib is good if:
You want a good value Basic Plus policy that can help you avoid the LHC and MLS.
You want basic extras with decent dental. "Core Extras" gives you 60% back and no annual claim limit on preventative dental from around $33.44 a month.
nib is not great if:
You want the best value Bronze, Silver or Gold hospital policy.
You want a very basic extras policy.
Review by our insurance and innovations editor Gary Ross Hunter.
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nib health insurance complaints
We looked at the 2022 Ombudsman health insurance complaints. Here's how nib stacked up:
nib received a slightly smaller percentage of total complaints (9.40%) than its market share (9.30%).
nib had proportionally more complaints than several other big health funds, including HBF, Bupa and Medibank.
This chart shows the weighted volume of complaints received by each health fund, according to the Commonwealth Ombudsman. The lower the number, the better. Only non-restricted funds with a national market share of at least 0.1% are included here. nib is ninth overall in this ranking. The weighting ensures that funds are compared fairly; larger funds serve more customers so can potentially get more complaints.
Why you can trust Finder's health insurance experts
We're free
Our health insurance engine is completely free to use. You pay the same as buying directly from the health insurer. Better still, we regularly run exclusive deals that you won't find on any other site.
Unlike other comparison sites, we're not owned by an insurer. That means our opinions are our own and you can compare nearly every health fund in Australia on the site (and find a better deal).
We're here to help
Since 2014, we've helped 350,000+ people find health insurance by explaining your options simply. We'll never ask for your number or email to see prices. We're here to help you make a decision.
nib frequently asked questions
No, nib is not a not-for-profit fund. It is a private fund with private shareholders.
nib offers an age based discount to customers between the ages of 18-29. The amount of discount you receive depends on what age you were on the Discount Assessment Date, which is 1 April 2019 or the date you first took out a policy with nib after 1 April 2019. You'll keep your discount until age 40 at which point it decreases by 2% per year. Here's what your discount will be, based on the age you were on your Discount Assessment date:
18-25: 10% discount
26: 8% discount
27: 6% discount
28: 4% discount
29: 2% discount
There are several options to choose from when you need to make an extras claim with nib:
Swipe your nib card. All you have to do is swipe your nib card when you visit your service provider to claim on the spot.
Claim online. You can use nib Online Claiming 24/7 and claim for extras services by uploading a photo of your receipt. Benefits will be paid into your account within 5 working days.
Claim via the nib app. There are iPhone, iPad and Android apps available so you can claim on the go.
Visit an nib retail centre. You can visit your nearest nib retail centre to lodge a claim in person.
Claim by mail. Download and complete an nib claim form, then mail it and your original receipts to nib health funds, Locked Bag 2010, Newcastle NSW 2300.
nib offers separate health insurance options for overseas students and working visitors.
Gary Ross Hunter is an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, news.com.au, The Telegraph, Explore Travel and Escape. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification and a Kaplan Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146).
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If you’re looking for private health insurance in Victoria, compare the most popular health funds in your state and how much it costs to take out cover.
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