Switch today to enjoy great value health cover with top notch member service.
To authorise us to arrange the transfer on your behalf, simply check the box during the online application process and enter the name of your previous health fund and your member number. Alternatively, if you're joining over the phone, just ask your friendly Sales Consultant to input those details for you.
Once we have your authorisation, we'll then contact your previous fund and request that they send us what's known as a Clearance Certificate, confirming your previous level of cover.
What's a clearance certificate?
A clearance certificate provides HIF with all the details we need in order to finalise your new policy with us, including any waiting periods that may still be outstanding, plus any Lifetime Health Cover loading that may apply.
Please note that Australian health funds have up to 30 days to issue Clearance Certificates, so if you would like your old fund to issue your certificate as a matter of urgency, please let us know and we can escalate it as a priority request. Alternatively, you can contact your previous fund yourself and submit a direct request for a certificate to be sent to HIF.
Other important things you need to know about the switching process.
To ensure that all your previously served waiting periods are recognised by HIF, you must switch within 2 months of leaving your previous health fund. If you transfer to HIF on an equivalent or lower level of cover, you won't need to re-serve any waiting periods already served with your previous fund for those services for which you were already covered.
Important! If you paid your previous health fund via direct debit, keep reading...
What is so important, you may ask? The answer - direct debit arrangements. Why? Well, while HIF can submit a policy cancellation request to your old fund on your behalf, the one thing we can't do (for legal reasons) is cancel any standing direct debit arrangements with your previous fund. That means you'll need to contact them personally to cancel your premium contribution. So once you've joined HIF, just give your old fund a call and let them know the date you've nominated your HIF cover to commence, then request that your membership and direct debit be cancelled on the same day.
Handy tip!
Want to avoid that awkward conversation with your old health fund? Don't worry, simply contact your bank instead and they can cancel the direct debit for you.