Sydney, 31 October, 2016 – HCF, Australia’s leading not-for-profit health fund, has partnered with digital health platform, Healthshare, to provide members with important tools to help in selecting a care provider.

This innovative partnership – aligning Healthshare’s market-leading practitioner referrals platform with HCF’s extensive data set – will enable general practitioners (GPs) to search for and select the most appropriate and conveniently located specialist participating in the HCF Known Gap and No Gap scheme. The GP can then automatically populate a referral including patient and specialist details.

As a result, patients can discuss with their GPs upfront about being referred to a specialist with no out-of-pocket costs or a known out-of-pocket cost of up to $500, at the location of their choice. Through Healthshare’s consumer portal, healthshare.com.au, patients also have the option to search for this information themselves to conduct their own research on medical specialists and other allied health professionals.

“As the first health fund to sign up to Healthshare’s practitioner referrals platform, we recognised this clear opportunity to help members find our network doctors earlier in the process so they are empowered to make an informed decision,” said Sheena Jack, HCF’s Chief Strategy Officer.

The practitioner referrals tool is free and available to all Australian GPs via both an integrated solution (into the GP’s clinical software) and a non-integrated solution. The Healthshare digital platform itself connects half a million monthly users – Australians who are looking for health answers – with local, credible and relevant health practitioners and health information.

“We didn’t hesitate to collaborate with HCF since they share our enthusiasm for leveraging innovation to improve the health and wellbeing of all Australians,” said Rami Weiss, Healthshare’s CEO. “We continue to develop our platform to drive improved efficiencies and transparency in the health ecosystem, and offer patients and practitioners the right information at the right time to make a better-informed health decision.”

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:

• Dashika Zimmer
  HCF
  E: dzimmer@hcf.com.au
  M: 0405 560 360

About HCF

HCF, leading not-for-profit health fund protecting Australians since 1932, covers around 1.5 million members with health and life insurance, community care, travel and pet insurance.

On average over the last five years, HCF has paid out more cents in every dollar in premiums to members as benefits than the industry average. With over 35,000 specialists participating in its Medical Gap Cover Scheme and approximately 10,000 providers participating in its 100% back More for You programs, HCF gives members access to quality healthcare with no gaps or minimal costs compared to non-participating providers.

To empower members to put their health first, HCF also offers a range of health and lifestyle services including its My Health Guardian health management program, mobile Victor Chang Heart Health Checks and My Global Specialist second opinion service. HCF also offers a discount on online GP visits with GP2U.

HCF’s national network of retail outlets and Australian-based call centres have earned multi-award winning status. HCF members also have access to low cost, high quality services at HCF Dental Centres and HCF Eyecare Centres.

Having contributed $50 million to support the health services research funded by the HCF Research Foundation, HCF is devoted to investing in the future of Australia’s health.

To learn more about HCF go to hcf.com.au/about-us

About Healthshare

Healthshare's (www.healthsharedigital.com.au) mission is to improve patient health outcomes using digital solutions. Healthshare focuses on solving three key challenges in the health ecosystem using its TAP platform:

(T) Timely Information
Delivering the right information to the right patient or health practitioner at the right time

(A) Access to practitioners and treatment
Enabling efficient and fast-tracked access to the right clinical treatment

(P) Patient and practitioner engagement
Improving treatment outcomes through better patient/health practitioner engagement

In 2015 Healthshare was ranked #44 in Deloitte’s Tech Fast 500 in all of Asia Pacific (#8 in Australia).