Premium freeze

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many health services were interrupted, and many people delayed health care treatments. COVID-19 lockdowns may have made it difficult for members to use their cover at times, resulting in savings for GMHBA. As a not-for-profit fund, we made the decision to put premium increases on hold for six months in 2020, 2022 and 2023.

GMHBA set aside funds to pay for claims that had to be postponed during 2020-2022, as we expected our members would seek treatment in the future. Not all claims that we planned for were made, which is why we returned value to members via various methods.

Health insurance premiums are reviewed because health care costs increase year-on-year. Health care costs are driven by a number of factors, including:

• increased cost of health service delivery with things like new medical technologies and treatments
• an ageing population and people living longer
• growing rates of chronic conditions.

Learn more: Premium Review

You can review your cover to check you’re on the right cover for your health and financial circumstances. 

COVID-19 related hospitalisation cover 

During the pandemic, GMHBA introduced temporary support measures which meant existing active members with hospital cover were covered for all COVID-19 related hospital treatments as a private patient (even if the applicable clinical category was an exclusion on your level of cover). The two-month waiting period was also required to have been served. This coverage was extended throughout 2020, 2021 and 2022 and expired on 30 April 2023. 

If you have been admitted to hospital as a result of a condition developed from contracting coronavirus on or after 1 May 2023, your eligibility for benefits depends on whether the condition falls under a clinical category covered by your policy, e.g. if you have a lung complaint, it's necessary for your policy to cover "Lung and Chest" in order for you to receive benefits.

Please check your policy documents to understand what clinical categories you are currently covered for and if they will still be suitable for your needs now that the temporary COVID-19 hospitalisation cover has expired.

Telehealth benefits 

Telehealth benefits for some extras services that were introduced as part of our COVID-19 support package (in line with level of cover you hold) are now permanent. Learn more about telehealth and what services are eligible.