Is HIF Health Insurance Worth It? Australian Review 2025

Why trust HelloSafe?

Why trust HelloSafe? HelloSafe is a leading international expert in private health insurance, helping over a million users worldwide each month to find the right cover. Our experts have reviewed policies from dozens of insurers in Australia, providing an in-depth analysis of their cover, premiums and quality of service.

What does HIF health insurance cover?

HIF offers modular hospital and extras covers, from Basic Plus (accidents and limited basics) up to Gold Top, which is truly comprehensive. Their extras options scale from Basic to Top, with percentage refunds and generous limits for dental, optical, physiotherapy, and mental health, plus unlimited emergency ambulance across all plans. Notable strengths are flexibility, wellness programs, and premium service options like mental health navigation. However, lower tiers exclude many major procedures, and strict waiting periods or pre-existing condition limits apply. Some natural therapies have restricted cover, and pharmacy is mainly for non-PBS scripts.

Important

for you to easily compare and make your choice, we have added a column with what the public health system reimburses.

Routine medical care

Dental care

Vision care

Specialized and paramedical care

Good to know

Who can join HIF health insurance: * Anyone who lives in Australia * Must be eligible for Medicare * Minimum age to hold a policy is 18 * Dependant children can be covered, often up to the age of 25 if studying full-time. You can add or remove family members (like a partner or children) from your policy at any time. Choose from 4 types of cover to suit your situation: * Single – For one adult. * Couple – For you and your partner. * Single Parent – For one adult and their dependant children. * Family – For two adults and their dependant children.

What is the price of HIF health insurance in 2025?

*Ces tarifs sont donnés à titre indicatifs. Les primes réelles peuvent différer en fonction de votre situation personnelle et des options choisies.*

Is HIF health insurance accessible to newcomers?

HIF cover is designed for new arrivals, overseas workers, international students and visitors who do not yet have access to Medicare or need private insurance to meet visa conditions or protect against unexpected health issues on arrival in Australia.

• Medical care
  Doctor consultations, general practitioner visits, in-hospital medical care. Reimbursement usually up to the Medical Benefits Schedule or a set benefit ceiling per service.
• Prescribed care
  Reimbursement for medicines on prescription (non-PBS), physiotherapy, and allied health, often up to an annual limit (for example, $200 to $400 per year depending on the extras cover).
• Specialist care
  Access to specialists, diagnostic tests, and in-hospital treatment for included conditions. Many surgical procedures are covered as inpatient if listed on your formula, with waiting periods.
• Emergency dental care
  Treatment for acute pain, infection, or trauma—covered within annual sub-limits (for example, $400 to $600 per year).
• Medical transport
  Unlimited emergency ambulance transport, included under all covers, subject to a small co-payment for non-emergency use (usually $50).
• Additional expenses (hospitalisation or death)
  Includes daily hospital accommodation, agreed prostheses, in-hospital drugs, and, on some formulas, lump-sum support in the event of death or specific repatriation support.

The policy can generally be arranged for 12 months but can be renewed as required for the duration of your stay. Coverage may exclude treatment outside Australia, and you must meet age and visa criteria (e.g. typically under 65–70 years at joining, specific stay conditions). Waiting periods apply: generally 2 months for most benefits, 12 months for pre-existing conditions, pregnancy and some major treatments. Policies are only valid if you remain legally in Australia and without Medicare.

Coverage Exclusions and Verification

HIF does not cover outpatient services or non-listed treatments; always check your plan to avoid unexpected costs.

Does HIF health insurance cover seniors?

HIF offers accessible health insurance solutions for retirees and those transitioning from group cover to an individual plan. The offer is intended for individuals aged 65 and over, or anyone losing access to a corporate or collective health plan, enabling them to continue with comprehensive protection tailored to later-life needs. The transition from collective to individual cover is designed to be straightforward, with no medical evidence required if the application to join is made within 60 days of the end of the former contract. This ensures continuity of benefits and immediate access to reimbursement, avoiding periods without cover.

Available options allow you to personalise the scope of protection according to your health requirements and budget:

• Basic Plus Hospital: Covers essential hospital care in the event of accidents and select standard treatments; includes emergency ambulance and basic surgeries, with an affordable premium.
• Bronze and Bronze Plus Hospital: Broader hospital coverage for common procedures, select surgeries, and certain diseases, including psychiatric and rehabilitation support (restricted), plus unlimited ambulance transport.
• Silver and Silver Plus Hospital: More comprehensive coverage for a wide scope of inpatient treatments, including cardiac care, diabetes, joint replacements, and additional support programs; excludes maternity and assisted reproduction.
• Gold Top Hospital: Highest level of hospital cover with no exclusions—all treatments listed on the Medicare schedule are included, along with unlimited emergency ambulance and enhanced benefits for chronic or complex needs.
• Basic, Simple, Value, Essential, Advanced, and Top Extras: Modular extras formulas covering general and major dental, optical, physiotherapy, pharmacy, mental health support, hearing aids, and even home nursing or healthy lifestyle benefits, based on the selected tier and specific needs.
• Travel and extended care options: Some covers include medical travel, health management programs, and access to home or in-home care, also responding to new needs after retirement (e.g. diabetes support, home rehabilitation, or hospital-at-home for eligible cases).

HIF Transition Program

The HIF Transition Program allows you to keep your cover level and waiting period credit when converting from a group policy, provided the application is made within the 60-day deadline.

How does the reimbursement work with HIF?

How to contact HIF health insurance?

HIF Promo Codes

Note: Les codes promos sont susceptibles de changer. Pour obtenir les derniers codes promos, rendez-vous sur notre comparatif des meilleures assurances santé.

FAQ

A. Fruchard

Insurance expert

Co-founder of HelloSafe and an experienced entrepreneur in the insurance and personal finance sector, Antoine uses his experience and in-depth knowledge of the market to help Internet users make the right choices. With an MBA in economics, he is a committed expert whose mission is to make personal finance and insurance issues simple and understandable. With a rich career marked by the creation of innovative companies, Antoine's ambition has always been to bring transparency to complex issues and to give power back to consumers. With HelloSafe, he continues to translate this vision by providing accurate advice, impartial comparisons and detailed explanations of travel insurance. He has analysed hundreds of contracts to reveal the best options available on the market.