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HCF health insurance review

Name: HCF
Rating: 4.0

Our verdict: HCF has competitively priced Bronze Plus, Silver Plus and Gold (but no Basic) hospital policies, as well as several good value extras policies.

Tim Bennett

Gary Ross Hunter

Updated

Feb 27, 2024

Fact checked

4.0 ★★★★★ (146 reviews) Write a review

Pros

Most hospital policies cover more than the minimum tier requirements, but are still competitively priced.
Of the big funds, HCF had the highest member retention rate (98.6%) according to the latest Commonwealth Ombudsman figures.
"Starter Extras" is the cheapest extras policy with a benefit for remedial massage, starting at around $12 a month.

Cons

No Basic or Basic Plus policies available.
HCF received the highest number of complaints compared to market share of any of the big health funds.

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Congratulations, HCF!

HCF received the following awards in the 2024 Product Awards:

'Health Insurance - Bronze Hospital' - Winner
'Health Insurance - Silver Hospital' - Highly Commended

Full list of 2024 winners

- Winner for Best Health Insurance - Silver Hospital 2023
- Winner for Best Health Insurance - Bronze Hospital 2023
- Finalist for Best Health Fund of the Year 2023

I've had HCF ambulance cover for years now, and it's given me the peace of mind that I need. There's nothing worse than having to worry about the cost of an ambulance when you need it.

— Tim Bennett, insurance expert

HCF health insurance: Our verdict

HCF has a wide selection of comprehensive hospital policies that are competitively priced. It also offers several extras policies that are good value for particular treatments. It did receive more than its fair share of complaints in 2022, but it also had the highest member retention rate of all funds.

HCF is good if:

You're after a cheap Silver Plus policy. "Hospital Standard Silver Plus" is good value, covering 29 treatments from around $108 a month.
You want a mid-priced extras plan with good dental coverage. "Mid Extras" offers 100% back on up to 2 dental checks per year, from around $32 a month.

HCF is not great if:

You need a Basic or Basic Plus policy (especially if it's to avoid the MLS or LHC).
You want the best value Bronze Plus policy – we found comparable alternatives for less from Medibank and HBF**.

_{Review by our health insurance publisher}Tim Bennett.

**"HCF Hospital Bronze Plus" covers 25 treatments from around $88 a month, while "HBF Bronze Hospital Plus" and "Medibank Bronze Plus Progress" each cover 26 treatments for around $90 and $90 a month, respectively.

1 - 1 of 1

Name	Product
Get up to 8 weeks free Ends 30 June 2024 When you join eligible cover by 30 June and stay with HCF. T&Cs Apply. Get deal Go to site			loading Fetching your data...

What types of health insurance does HCF offer?

1 - 3 of 3

Name	Treatments	Price	Apply
HCF MY FUTURE 750 BASIC PLUS Basic Plus$750 excess	Hospital Rehabilitation Joint reconstructions Dental surgery Hernia and appendix +7 other treatments covered Extras General Dental Major Dental Optical Hearing aids +6 other treatments covered	$101.14 per month	Go to Site All treatments	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
HCF MY FAMILY SILVER PLUS $750 EXCESS Silver Plus$750 excess	Hospital Lung and chest Back neck and spine Cataracts Joint replacements +28 other treatments covered Extras General Dental Major Dental Optical Hearing aids +7 other treatments covered	$207.70 per month	Go to Site All treatments	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
HCF MY FAMILY ADVANCED SILVER PLUS $750 EXCESS Silver Plus$750 excess	Hospital Lung and chest Back neck and spine Cataracts Joint replacements +28 other treatments covered Extras General Dental Major Dental Optical Hearing aids +10 other treatments covered	$232.06 per month	Go to Site All treatments	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

1 - 4 of 4

Name	Treatments	Price	Apply
HCF HOSPITAL BRONZE PLUS $750 EXCESS Bronze Plus$750 excess	Joint reconstructions Ear nose and throat Blood Back neck and spine Dental surgery Eye excluding cataracts Cancer Lung and chest +18 other treatments covered	$91.11 per month	Go to Site All treatments	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
HCF HOSPITAL STANDARD SILVER PLUS Silver Plus$750 excess	Lung and chest Back neck and spine Cataracts Joint replacements Blood Dental surgery Palliative care Pregnancy and birth +24 other treatments covered	$114.03 per month	Go to Site All treatments	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
HCF HOSPITAL SILVER PLUS $750 EXCESS Silver Plus$750 excess	Lung and chest Back neck and spine Cataracts Joint replacements Blood Dental surgery Palliative care Pregnancy and birth +26 other treatments covered	$174.38 per month	Go to Site All treatments	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
HCF HOSPITAL PREMIUM GOLD $750 EXCESS Gold$750 excess	Cataracts Joint replacements Palliative care Pregnancy and birth Sleep studies Weight loss surgery Rehabilitation Insulin pumps +30 other treatments covered	$245.63 per month	Go to Site All treatments	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

1 - 7 of 7

Name	Treatments	Price	Apply
HCF AMBULANCE ONLY Extras cover	General Dental Major Dental Optical Physiotherapy Chiropractic Psychology Remedial Massage Hearing aids	$4.98 per month	Go to Site All treatments	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
HCF STARTER EXTRAS Extras cover	General Dental Major Dental Optical Physiotherapy Chiropractic Psychology Remedial Massage Hearing aids +1 other treatments covered	$13.16 per month	Go to Site All treatments	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
HCF STARTER EXTRAS (WITH OPTICAL) Extras cover	General Dental Major Dental Optical Physiotherapy Chiropractic Psychology Remedial Massage Hearing aids +1 other treatments covered	$17.42 per month	Go to Site All treatments	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
HCF FLEX MY EXTRAS Extras cover	General Dental Major Dental Optical Physiotherapy Chiropractic Psychology Remedial Massage Hearing aids +1 other treatments covered	$29.33 per month	Go to Site All treatments	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
HCF MID EXTRAS Extras cover	General Dental Major Dental Optical Physiotherapy Chiropractic Psychology Remedial Massage Hearing aids +2 other treatments covered	$35.06 per month	Go to Site All treatments	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
HCF VITAL EXTRAS Extras cover	General Dental Major Dental Optical Physiotherapy Chiropractic Psychology Remedial Massage Hearing aids +6 other treatments covered	$61.86 per month	Go to Site All treatments	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
HCF TOP EXTRAS Extras cover	General Dental Major Dental Optical Physiotherapy Chiropractic Psychology Remedial Massage Hearing aids +6 other treatments covered	$82.33 per month	Go to Site All treatments	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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HCF health insurance complaints

We looked at the 2022 ombudsman health insurance complaints. Here's how HCF stacked up:

Of all funds with more than 0.5% market share, HCF ranked 15th out of 19 for the proportion of complaints compared to market share.
Proportionally, HCF had the highest number of complaints when compared to the big health funds.

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. HCF is fifteenth 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

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We've researched and rated hundreds of policies as part of our Finder Awards. We've published 250+ guides and our in-house experts regularly appear on Sunrise, 7News and SBS News.

We're independent

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).

HCF frequently asked questions

HCF has a number of member offers and benefits for members, including a loyalty rewards program.
- Diamond members, who've been with HCF for over 25 years and have a top tier policy, are rewarded with preferential servicing, a growing range of exclusive offers, VIP experiences and more
- Ruby members, who've been with HCF for more than 10 years, get access to special offers and rewards, exclusive access to unique events and more
- Emerald members get, for 5 years of membership, access an increasing range of discounts and privileges from HCF partner brands
- Opal members, who have been with HCF for under 5 years, are still rewarded with various exclusive offers and rewards.
If you need to make an extras claim with HCF, you can lodge your claim in the following ways:
- On the spot. You can swipe your HCF membership card when you visit your service provider to claim immediately.
- Via the HCF mobile app. You can take a photo of your receipt with your smartphone to submit your claim.
- Online. Online claims can be made through the HCF member services portal. You'll need to post your original receipts to the health fund to complete your claim.
- At a branch. Claims can be lodged in an HCF branch by presenting your membership card and your original receipts.
- By post. You also have the option of downloading a claim form from the HCF website or phoning the health fund to request one. You can then send the completed claim form and your receipts to: HCF, GPO Box 4242, Sydney NSW 2001.
As for medical bills from your treating doctor, if you were treated under the HCF Medicover agreement the bills will go directly to HCF. If not, you can submit your health insurance claim at any HCF or Medicare branch.

Thank you for your feedback!

Tim Bennett

Tim Bennett is a Finder insurance expert. For over 10 years he's reported on news, politics, finance and other topics as a journalist and radio presenter. Tim's roles have included radio news reader and breakfast at the ABC, news producer for SBS and producer for Fairfax Media. Tim regularly appears as a health insurance expert on programs like Sunrise and SBS news, as well as in the Australian, The Daily Telegraph, The Courier Mail and more.

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HCF health insurance review

Our verdict: HCF has competitively priced Bronze Plus, Silver Plus and Gold (but no Basic) hospital policies, as well as several good value extras policies.

Pros

Cons

Congratulations, HCF!

Explore HCF's past Award wins

HCF health insurance: Our verdict

Sign-up deals with HCF health insurance for May 2024

What types of health insurance does HCF offer?

HCF health insurance complaints

Full table of data

Why you can trust Finder's health insurance experts

We're free

We're experts

We're independent

We're here to help

HCF frequently asked questions

Is HCF a not-for-profit fund?

Does HCF have long-term member benefits?

How can I make a claim with HCF?

Will HCF cover overseas visitors or students?

Tim Bennett

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