Established in 1938, Health Care Insurance Limited (HCI) is a non-profit fund owned entirely by its membership base of over 10,000 Australians.
HCI started out as a regional health fund in Tasmania and has since expanded across the nation, but still prioritise investing back into their local communities.
Nobody chooses to go to hospital. But when you do, appropriate hospital cover will help you get the treatment you need, where and when you want it. It also helps to pay the bills, as fees for hospital rooms and specialists can add up.
Think about what services you’re likely to need, in line with your budget. If you earn over $90,000 individually or $180,000 as a couple, you could avoid paying the Medicare Levy Surcharge.
HCI offers three straightforward hospital policies: bronze, silver and gold.
All hospital policies include:
Unusually for a health insurer, you’ll need to take out the Healthy Extras or Premier Extras package to receive ambulance cover, and there’s a two month waiting period. If you’re a Tasmanian or Queensland resident, your state covers the cost of ambulance trips. Read our guide for more information.
From dental, to optical, to chiro and more, extras insurance helps cover the bills for routine treatments with rebates of up to 100%.
While we’ve summarised the key points of each plan below, it’s always worth digging a little deeper into any gap fees, how much you can claim back, and whether your preferred healthcare provider, such as your local dentist, is recognised by the health fund.
Take the time to work out what you need and what you’re prepared to pay. If this feels a bit overwhelming, you can speak to one of our experts.
HCI offers three straightforward extra plans, which we’ve detailed below.
Waiting periods are there to stop people from signing up, claiming and then cancelling their cover. It means once you take out a new plan, you may have to wait a certain amount of time before receiving your benefit.
When you switch to HCI from another provider, you won’t have to re-serve your waiting periods, unless your new policy covers something you didn’t have before or has improved annual extras benefits and/or limits.
HCI partners with Best Doctors, giving all HCI members access to a second opinion from the world’s leading medical specialists. It’s a confidential service which complements the care your own doctor is providing.
HCI also has a partnership with smile.com.au. You can receive 15%-40% off dental treatments from a smile.com.au approved provider – on top of your usual extras benefit.
There’s also a Nourish Baby program for parents-to-be and new parents, including a sleep helpline for mums and dads who struggle to get their bub sleeping properly.
Hospital
Simply tell the hospital you are a member of a HCI policy. Your hospital account will be sent directly to HCI for them to assess on your behalf.
Extras
You can swipe your membership card to claim directly on the spot with your provider’s HICAPS or iSOFT terminal.
You can also receive a copy of the invoice and claim through the HCI Claiming App, or fill out the claim form and send it via email or post. In most cases, claims are processed on the same day they are received.
HCI has agreements with most hospital and day surgery providers across Australia. When comparing policies, it’s worth checking if your preferred local hospitals and clinics are covered.
From 1 January to 31 March 2020, the Private Health Insurance received just one complaint from an HCI member. HCI has a market share of 0.1%.
Source: Private Health Ombudsman
HCI is open for all Australian residents to join.
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