WHAT YOU'LL NEED
The government’s Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) initiative encourages people to take out private hospital cover earlier in life. To get the full benefit, you need to take out hospital insurance with an Australian registered health fund by 1 July following your 31st birthday.
If you take out cover after this time, you might have to pay an extra 2% on top of your premium for each year you waited after 30. This is called LHC loading. So if you take out hospital cover at age 40 you could pay 20% more than someone who first took out hospital cover at age 30.
The maximum loading is 70%. Once you have paid a LHC loading for 10 continuous years, the loading is removed as long as you retain your hospital cover.
You can be without hospital cover for up to 1094 days (three years less one day) during your lifetime, without affecting your LHC loading. This is known as 'Days of Absence'. If you exceed this period, you’ll pay an extra 2% loading on top of your premium if you rejoin. The LHC loading will increase by an extra 2% for every year without hospital cover excluding your 'Days of Absence'.
To find out if you need to pay LHC loading, you can use the Lifetime Health Cover calculators at privatehealth.gov.au.
If you've had hospital cover since you turned 31 or for a continuous period of 10 years, you won't likely have LHC loading. We'll reach out to your previous insurer to confirm this as we transfer your cover over.
If you do have LHC loading, you can still switch between insurers and adjust your hospital cover and your anniversary date won't be affected. We'll record this date from your previous insurer.
We'll also confirm your loading percentage when we request your information from your previous insurer. We'll reach out to you if we need more information.
Once you've maintained your cover for 10 continuous years, we'll remove the LHC loading. We'll notify you when this happens.
If you're an Australian citizen or permanent resident who was overseas on 1 July, 2000, or are overseas on 1 July following your 31st birthday, you won't pay LHC loading if you take out hospital cover by the first anniversary of the day you return to Australia. You can return to Australia for period of up to 90 consecutive days, and will still be considered to be based overseas.
If you're unsure if you have LHC loading after joining, you can request international movement record from the Department of Home Affairs. Email your record to join.cancel@myhcf.com.au and we'll adjust your premium (the amount you pay) based on this. We'll notify you of any changes.
If you're a new migrant to Australia, and are aged 31 or over, you won't have to pay a LHC loading if you take out hospital cover within 12 months of registering for Medicare.
After this, you'll pay a 2% loading for each year you're aged over 30. The LHC loading will increase by an extra 2% for every year after that you are without hospital cover.
The Department of Human Services can provide you with information about private health insurance and LHC loading, along with your Medicare eligibility. When you join HCF, you'll be asked to email your Medicare eligibility to join.cancel@myhcf.com.au so we can establish your 'base day'. You have 365 days from your base day to obtain complying private hospital cover without incurring loading.
For more information on LHC, go to the Department of Health and Aged Care
Your personal information (such as name, contact details, address and Medicare number) is protected by law (including the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth)) and is collected by the Australian Government Department of Human Services for the assessment and administration of payments and services. This information is required to process your application, claim or rebate. If you do not provide or the department cannot otherwise collect all the information requested or needed, the department may not be able to process your application, claim or rebate. Your information may be used by the department, or given to other parties where you have consented, or where it is required or authorised by law (including for the purpose of research or conducting investigations). You can get more information about the way in which the department will manage your personal information, including their privacy policy at www.humanservices.gov.au/privacy.
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