HCF
38 open policies in the October 2026 data. Anyone can join.
This insurer is a mutual organisation that operates on a not-for-profit basis.
hcf.com.au, phone 13 13 34
- Hospital
- 15
- Hospital and extras
- 4
- Extras
- 19
- Closed to new members
- 107
How its premiums compare in NSW & ACT
HCF's cheapest single hospital policy in each tier against every other insurer's cheapest, counting policies anyone can buy, from October 2026 data.
- BasicHospital only$105.054th cheapest of 20
- BronzeHospital only$126.316th cheapest of 21
- SilverHospital only$165.996th cheapest of 21
- Basic. Its cheapest single Basic hospital policy in NSW & ACT is HCF Reciprocal Health Cover Basic, at $105.05 a month before the rebate with a $750 excess: 4th cheapest of 20 insurers. See every insurer
- Bronze. Its cheapest single Bronze hospital policy in NSW & ACT is HCF HOSPITAL BRONZE, at $126.31 a month before the rebate with a $750 excess: 6th cheapest of 21 insurers. See every insurer
- Silver. Its cheapest single Silver hospital policy in NSW & ACT is HCF HOSPITAL STANDARD SILVER PLUS, at $165.99 a month before the rebate with a $750 excess: 6th cheapest of 21 insurers. See every insurer
What a single pays each month, cheapest to dearest policy
Monthly, before the rebate, across every excess option. 19 corporate policies are included; they are sold through employers and associations.
- NSW & ACT$105.05 to $548.15
- VIC$107.45 to $600.22
- QLD$109.45 to $582.70
- SA$102.25 to $494.25
- WA$85.75 to $475.20
- TAS$112.00 to $530.61
- NT$40.95 to $294.42
- NSW & ACT$145.04 to $393.29
- VIC$144.14 to $411.92
- QLD$147.06 to $410.36
- SA$149.25 to $388.78
- WA$116.59 to $364.10
- TAS$153.76 to $385.16
- NT$76.47 to $276.96
- NSW & ACT$6.84 to $129.70
- VIC$8.28 to $142.59
- QLD$22.29 to $146.65
- SA$9.51 to $152.34
- WA$9.85 to $145.52
- TAS$14.75 to $136.49
- NT$7.19 to $136.49
Show the figures
| State | Hospital | Hospital and extras | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW & ACT | $105.05 to $548.15 | $145.04 to $393.29 | $6.84 to $129.70 |
| VIC | $107.45 to $600.22 | $144.14 to $411.92 | $8.28 to $142.59 |
| QLD | $109.45 to $582.70 | $147.06 to $410.36 | $22.29 to $146.65 |
| SA | $102.25 to $494.25 | $149.25 to $388.78 | $9.51 to $152.34 |
| WA | $85.75 to $475.20 | $116.59 to $364.10 | $9.85 to $145.52 |
| TAS | $112.00 to $530.61 | $153.76 to $385.16 | $14.75 to $136.49 |
| NT | $40.95 to $294.42 | $76.47 to $276.96 | $7.19 to $136.49 |
What HCF covers, and what it pays back
Hospital
Leaving out the eight it sells through employers, HCF has 11 policies with hospital cover. They come with a choice of $250, $500 or $750 excess. Eight of the 11 drop the excess for children on the policy, and nine of the 11 if you're admitted after an accident. HCF doesn't offer the youth discount, up to 10% off for people who join between 18 and 29, though 67% of hospital policies on the market do.
Waiting periods are the standard ones: 12 months for pre-existing conditions and pregnancy, and two months for everything else, psychiatric, rehab and palliative care included. That's the most the law lets a fund make you wait. All 11 cover emergency ambulance trips only.
Extras
Not counting the 12 it sells through employers, HCF has ten policies with extras, covering anywhere from 7 to 24 of the 27 services insurers report on. Here's the most any of them pays back on common claims, and the highest yearly limits, next to the typical policy among the 708 on the market.
The most it pays back on common claims
- $38.00typical policy $35.20
- $76.00typical policy $66.85
- $1,000.00typical policy $773.80
- $60.00typical policy $42.00
- $80.00typical policy $75.00
Its highest yearly limits for a single
- General dentalNo yearly limittypical policy $800
- Major dental$1,200typical policy $1,000
- Optical$275typical policy $220
- Physiotherapy$1,200typical policy $450
- Chiropractic$1,200typical policy $400
- Psychology$1,200typical policy $400
Benefits are what you'd get back from a provider outside the fund's preferred network, using the national figure or NSW's where a policy pays differently by state. Items paid as a percentage of the fee aren't included. Limits are per person per year on a single policy, and some funds pool several services under one limit. Corporate policies aren't counted. See how every fund compares in what extras pay back, or every policy side by side in the extras explorer.
Hospital policies 15
| Policy | Tier | From | Sold in | Excess options |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HCF Reciprocal Health Cover Basic | Basic | $40.95NT | All | $750 |
| HCF ACCIDENT ONLY BASIC | Basic | $41.37NT | All | $750 |
| HCF CORPORATE CARE BASIC HOSPITALCorporate | Basic | $55.00NT | All | $750 |
| HCF Hospital Basic Plus | Basic Plus | $51.17NT | All | $500, $750 |
| HCF CORPORATE CARE BASIC PLUS HOSPITALCorporate | Basic Plus | $57.16NT | All | $500, $750 |
| HCF HOSPITAL BRONZE | Bronze | $63.84NT | All | $500, $750 |
| HCF HOSPITAL BRONZE PLUS | Bronze Plus | $62.18NT | All | $250, $500, $750 |
| HCF CORPORATE CARE BRONZE PLUS HOSPITALCorporate | Bronze Plus | $65.21NT | All | $250, $500, $750 |
| HCF CORPORATE CARE SILVER PLUS HOSPITALCorporate | Silver Plus | $69.45NT | All | $250, $500, $750 |
| HCF HOSPITAL STANDARD SILVER PLUS | Silver Plus | $73.36NT | All | $250, $500, $750 |
| HCF CORPORATE CARE SILVER PLUS ADVANCED HOSPITALCorporate | Silver Plus | $113.84NT | All | $250, $500, $750 |
| HCF HOSPITAL SILVER PLUS | Silver Plus | $142.09NT | All | $250, $500, $750 |
| HCF CORPORATE GOLDCorporate | Gold | $172.39NT | All | $0, $250, $500, $750 |
| HCF CORPORATE CARE GOLD HOSPITALCorporateOnly sold with extras cover | Gold | $272.52NT | All | $750 |
| HCF Hospital Optimal GoldOnly sold with particular other policies | Gold | $294.42NT | All | $750 |
Hospital and extras policies 4
| Policy | Tier | From | Sold in | Excess options |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HCF MY FUTURE BASIC PLUS | Basic Plus | $76.47NT | All | $250, $500, $750 |
| HCF MY FAMILY SILVER PLUS | Silver Plus | $144.43NT | All | $750 |
| HCF MY FAMILY ADVANCED SILVER PLUS | Silver Plus | $160.05NT | All | $500, $750 |
| TOP ADVANCED HOSPITAL GOLD & MULTICOVERCorporate | Gold | $276.96NT | All | $250 |
Extras policies 19
| Policy | From | Sold in | Services |
|---|---|---|---|
| HCF AMBULANCE ONLY | $6.84NSW & ACT | NSW & ACT, VIC, SA, WA, NT | Ambulance only |
| HCF STARTER EXTRAS | $12.56NT | All | 7 |
| HCF STARTER EXTRAS (WITH OPTICAL) | $15.70NT | All | 8 |
| HCF CORPORATE CLASSIC STARTER EXTRASCorporate | $29.13NT | All | 6 |
| HCF FLEX MY EXTRAS | $34.38TAS | All | 9 |
| HCF MID EXTRAS | $35.79NT | All | 13 |
| HCF CORPORATE FLEXI EXTRASCorporate | $37.28NT | All | 10 |
| HCF CORPORATE CLASSIC EVERYDAY EXTRASCorporate | $40.54NT | All | 7 |
| HCF CORPORATE CLASSIC ADVANCED EXTRASCorporate | $47.13NT | All | 13 |
| HCF Choose My Extras | $51.32TAS | All | 20 |
| HCF CORPORATE SELECT EXTRASCorporate | $53.65NT | All | 24 |
| HCF VITAL EXTRAS | $56.76NT | All | 24 |
| HCF ACTIVE EXTRASCorporate | $62.99NT | All | 24 |
| HCF CORPORATE SELECT EXTRAS ADVANCEDCorporate | $80.19NT | All | 24 |
| HCF CORPORATE FLEXI EXTRAS ADVANCEDCorporate | $84.29NT | All | 23 |
| HCF TOP EXTRAS | $86.98TAS | All | 24 |
| HCF ADVANCED EXTRASCorporate | $103.83TAS | All | 24 |
| HCF ULTIMATE EXTRASCorporate | $105.24TAS | All | 24 |
| HCF CORPORATE CLASSIC PREMIUM EXTRASCorporate | $126.91NSW & ACT | All | 26 |
HCF also has 107 older policies (4,334 priced variants) closed to new members, which existing members can keep. They are counted here but not listed. Compare its hospital cover with every other insurer's in the hospital explorer.
Source: PrivateHealth.gov.au data (Private Health Insurance Ombudsman) via data.gov.au, licensed CC BY 3.0 AU. Normalised by The Finance Algorithm from the extract dated 1 Oct 2026, read on 23 Oct 2026.
Premiums are monthly and shown before the Australian Government rebate and any Lifetime Health Cover loading or age-based discount. Confirm the price and the cover with the insurer before you buy; the official statement for every policy is on PrivateHealth.gov.au. This is general information, not advice, and no insurer pays to be listed or ranked here.
Questions about HCF
- Who can join HCF?
- Anyone can join. HCF sells 38 policies to new members (15 hospital-only, 4 combined and 19 extras-only), going by the October 2026 data.
- How much is HCF hospital cover?
- Its cheapest hospital policy for a single is $40.95 a month before the government rebate (October 2026 figures). What you'd pay depends on your state, the tier and the excess you pick; the chart of premiums by state above has the range for each state.
- How much does HCF pay for a dental check-up?
- Up to $38.00 for a check-up (dental item 012) on its HCF TOP EXTRAS policy, at a dentist outside its preferred network. The typical extras policy across the market pays $35.20.