Selecting a doctoror hospital

Hospital cover gives you choices – you can decide who treats you and where you’re treated.  

  • Hospital cover enables you to choose your doctor and hospital
  • Our members can save money by choosing HCF-participating providers
  • You can evaluate hospitals through our online comparison tool

Choosing a doctor

You might follow the recommendation of your GP or specialist, or you may want to carry out your own research. Each medical specialty has a governing body, which can be a good starting point for finding a consultant.  

Out-of-pocket medical costs may be another deciding factor – if your entitlements don't cover your doctor’s fees you could end up having to pay the difference, known as 'the gap'.

Our members can avoid large gap payments by choosing a doctor who participates in the HCF Medicover scheme. To find one, go to Find a participating provider.

Choosing a hospital

If you’ve already chosen a doctor, they’ll tell you which hospitals they operate out of, but again gap payments may be an issue. Our members can get gap-free treatment (for services listed on their policies) at HCF-participating hospitals. To find one, go to Participating hospitals

You can compare data from many Australian hospitals through our Hospital safety & quality search tool.