Despite its nearly six decade-long history, HIF is a growing health fund. The organisation originated in 1954 as the Western Australian Government Railways Employees Hospital and Medical Fund, and updated its moniker to the much-punchier Health Insurance Fund Of WA, providing affordable private health insurance to local Western Australians. Then in 2010, the fund changed their name again to Health Insurance Fund Of Australia, reflecting its expanding client base across Australia. In 2010, the Private Health Insurance Administration Council (PHIAC) confirmed that HIF was the fastest growing non-profit Australian health fund for that year.
Non-Profit Perks:
HIF is registered as a not-for-profit health insurer, meaning they are exempt from income tax assessment. In addition to this, HIF does not answer to any shareholders. This allows the fund more freedom to deliver savings to their members in the most efficient way. Rather than paying cash dividends to fund members, HIF returns surpluses to members in the form of lower premiums, increased rebates and other rewards.
HIF Reviews:
The response to both HIF’s policies and customer service has been overwhelmingly positive across a range of review mediums, particularly by Western Australian members. These reviews identify a number of key points:
Provider Choice: HIF holds the majority of the market share for health funds in WA, with many members noting their freedom in health provider selection as a significant benefit. Unlike other health funds that stipulate a list of ‘participating providers’, HIF allows members freedom to choose the health provider of their liking.
Price Point: HIF’s policies and benefits are very competitive, with many members noting in particular the savings on dental costs. There are some pitfalls to this however, such as basic coverage for public hospital accommodation being limited to shared rooms only. In comparison, IMAN’s price points are very similar, with no limitation to public hospital accommodation.
Customer Service: Reviews of HIF’s customer service have been positive across the board. While some feedback has reflected a need to make the website more comprehensive, the vast majority indicate an excellent level of customer service from HIF. Unfortunately being based in Western Australia, HIF operates within different working hours, so interstate members need to consider the time difference hurdle in communications. However, HIF does provide a number of different contact options to navigate this issue.
HIF For 457 Visa Health Insurance
HIF provides a range of different policies for visitors on working visas, ranging in price and coverage from budget to comprehensive. HIF’s policies are all 457 Visa-compliant, and are less costly than those of the bigger providers such as BUPA and Medibank. While coverage may be cheaper, many of the services (such as private hospital accommodation and out-patient services) are limited in coverage, so potential policy holders need to consider the savings of a less expensive policy against the potential cost of medical services that are not included in the coverage.