Suspending your policy when going overseas
Freely going overseas to travel or live has returned after more than two years. Along with renewing your passport and staying up to date with entry requirements for your destination country, suspending your health insurance policy might be another item on your to-do list, depending on the length of your travels.
Your health insurance policy can be put on hold in some situations, one of these being extended travel overseas. Health insurance covers you for hospital and allied health services within Australia, so if you are planning to be overseas for some time and not using your cover, you may consider suspending it.
There are some important considerations when suspending your policy.
To be eligible to suspend your policy:
- Your trip must be longer than four weeks.
- Premiums need to be paid up to your date of departure.
How do I suspend my policy?
Simply send our Member Services team a copy of your boarding pass, e-ticket or travel itinerary before you leave, showing the date you will depart Australia.
This, together with your written request to suspend your policy, can be emailed to info@doctorshealthfund.com.au or posted to PO Box Q1749, Queen Victoria Building, Sydney NSW 1230.
Your policy will be suspended from the day after your departure date.
It is a good idea to also provide proof of a return date at this time and we can set your policy to automatically reactivate on the date of your arrival back in Australia. In this instance we will credit any premium paid past your departure date onto your policy.
Although this information is recommended, it is not required to suspend your policy. If you don’t provide a return date, we will issue you a refund of any premium paid past your departure date.
What does this mean for my policy?
Once your policy is suspended, you will not hold cover or pay premiums. This means you are uninsured for the period of the year you are suspended.
Due to this, the period of suspension will show on your Private Health Insurance Annual Tax Statement, and the suspension may result in tax implications - for example, you may be required to pay the Medicare Levy Surcharge for the time your policy is suspended. It is important that you speak with your accountant, financial advisor or the Australian Tax Office about how this could affect you.
If you are serving waiting periods, these will pause while your policy is suspended. You will also not accrue orthodontic limits under extras cover during the period in which your policy is suspended.
What do I need to do to reactivate my policy?
Proof of return either through a boarding pass, e-ticket or travel itinerary needs to be provided to us to reactivate your policy, if it was not provided at the time of suspension.
If your policy is not reactivated when you return to Australia it can have serious implications on your cover and can cause your policy to lapse. If your policy does lapse, you will be required to re-serve all relevant waiting periods and may face lifetime health cover (LHC) loading implications. Click here to find out more.
Remember to still notify us if you return earlier than expected, as you will be unable to make a claim while your policy remains suspended.
Can I suspend the cover for one person on my policy?
Suspensions can only apply to the whole policy and cannot be applied to only one member on the policy.
If you are considering travelling soon and have any questions regarding suspending your cover, please call our expert Member Services Team on 1800 226 126.
IMPORTANT: Private health insurance products are issued by The Doctors’ Health Fund Pty Limited, ABN 68 001 417 527 (Doctors’ Health Fund), a member of the Avant Mutual Group. Cover is subject to the terms and conditions (including waiting periods, limitations and exclusions) of the individual policy. The information provided in this article is general in nature. You should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs.
