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CBHS Health Insurance
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NIBCBHS health insurance offers private health insurance exclusively for past or present Commonwealth Bank of Australia employees, contractors, and immediate family members. If you’re an eligible first-timer or looking to switch from your current insurer, find out more about this in our review.
Take a closer look at their plans and benefits to see if their offering can work for you. Check if this insurer offers the cover you need, if they provide real value for money, or whether they exclude cover for anything that might be important to you.
Top 3 features of cover from this insurer:
- 4 Hospital options and 3 Extras policy options.
- Great member discounts, wellness benefits and health management programmes.
- Offers cover for current or former employee of the Commonwealth Bank Group
ComparingExpert does not currently have access to this provider. Visit CBHS to request a quote and compare their price and benefits to the Australian private health insurance companies we have access to.
About this fund
CBHS health insurance is a not-for-profit insurer that has been around since 1951. The insurer serves 230,000 Australians with their members’ first approach. They boast paying out more benefits, reinvesting profits into the fund and lower margins. This insurer typically aims to provide affordable Hospital, Extras and Packaged cover options. Their policies are exclusively available to individuals who are current or former employees of the Commonwealth Bank Group (CBA) and its subsidiaries.
This private health fund is a ‘not-for-profit’ organisation, which means they do not owe profit dividends to shareholders. This gives them the freedom to invest in improving their product offerings, including membership discounts, customer support services, and healthcare initiatives.
Who is eligible to join?
While this fund is only available to those who work for or used to work for Commonwealth Bank Group and its subsidiaries, family members of employees can also receive cover. For example, if you worked for the Commonwealth Group Bank five years ago, your ex-wife is still eligible to get cover from this insurer.
People eligible to join:
- Current permanent employees and contractors.
- Former permanent employees and contractors.
- Extended family members, including parents, spouses/partners, adult children, siblings, and grandchildren and their families.
- Current and former spouses/partners.
Cover Options
This fund offers a range of cover options, including Hospital Cover, Extras Cover, Packaged Cover, Ambulance Cover and Dependent Cover. These allow for claims for a range of health treatments and services.
Hospital cover
This insurer has tailored Hospital Cover options to suit customers’ varying needs. Benefits are paid towards the cost of in-hospital treatment with your choice of doctor.
| Plan | Monthly Premium | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Plus Hospital Cover | $126.23 | Budget-conscious cover which includes:
|
| Limited Hospital Cover (Bronze plus) | $158.73 | Mid-level cover that excludes pregnancy or hip and knee replacements but includes:
|
| Active Hospital Cover (Silver plus) | $177.19 | Generous CHBS claims benefits for in-hospital care, including:
|
| Comprehensive Hospital Cover (Gold) | $217.32 | Gold standard benefits including cover for:
|
Source: Privatehealth.gov.au March 2021 (Estimates for Singles Cover, no dependents, in NSW)
Extras cover
CBHS health fund further offers Extras cover for day-to-day treatments and associated expenses. Extras Cover options have various benefits such as CBHS dental cover and more to suit varying lifestyles.
| Plan | Monthly Premium | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Essential Extras Cover | $34.58 | Affordable cover includes preventative dental, general dental, chiro and more. |
| Intermediate Extras Cover | $53.82 | Mid-level cover includes preventative dental, general dental, endodontics, physio, chiro, osteopathy, podiatry and more. |
| Top Extras Cover | $90.52 | Comprehensive cover includes dental, physio, chiro, osteopathy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, clinical psychology, podiatry, audiology, massage therapies and more. |
Source: Privatehealth.gov.au March 2021 (Estimates for Singles Cover, no dependents, in NSW)
Packaged Cover
Combining Hospital and Extras cover gives you four Packaged options to choose from to cover in-hospital treatments and everyday health services.
- FlexiSaver (Basic Plus) – This entry-level package covers emergencies like accidents with preventative and general dental, optical and physio Extras benefits.
- Kickstart (Basic Plus) – Budget-friendly cover includes private hospital cover for commonly used hospital services, emergency ambulance, preventative and general dental, optical, physio, chiro and more.
- StepUp (Bronze Plus) – Ideal for a new or growing family, this mid-level plan covers pregnancy and birth services in hospital and Extras such as dental, optical physio and chiro.
- Prestige (Gold) – This top-level package covers all hospital-related treatments with a Medicare item number and offers an extensive range of Extras with high limits.
CBHS Ambulance Cover
This insurer offers protection in the event of an emergency. Hospital plans come with automatic coverage for emergency ambulance transport. Ambulance Cover is available separately to cover you for emergency ambulance services if you are transported directly to a licensed hospital or treated at the scene during a medical emergency.
Additional Benefits of cover with this insurer
To create health insurance policies that provide you with real value for money while also helping you enjoy a healthier life, this fund offers various benefits. Depending on your policy, you could have access to:
- Best Doctors: A network of leading expert specialists to review your medical case.
- Choice Network: Gain access to no gap services through this network of providers.
- Health Management Program: Telephonic advice and support to help you become healthier, for example, if you have a chronic illness like heart disease or diabetes.
- Hospital-in-the-Home: Known as a Hospital Substitute Treatment, this benefit gives you to option of staying to recover from treatments or rehab.
- Gap Assist: To help you reduce your out-of-pocket expenses because of hospitalisation, specific policies include this medical gap benefit, which provides $200 per person per calendar year towards out-of-pocket expenses.
- Member Discounts: Discounts on gym memberships, eyewear and contact lenses for a range of optical suppliers and a range of other health services, like Yoga and Pilates.
- Support Aids and Appliances: They will pay benefits towards a wide range of hearing aids, healthcare appliances and other supportive wear or monitoring devices.
- Support Groups: Support is a necessary part of your journey, which is why they offers access to support groups for people who suffer from a similar health issue to you.
- Wellness Benefits: Generous benefits on health checks, which includes breast exams, bone density tests, skin cancer screening, bowel/prostate cancer screening and more.
- Zero Co-Payments: You won’t have co-payments for children when they are admitted to the hospital.
Frequently asked questions
Is CBHS a good health fund?
There are advantages to joining a not-for-profit health fund because of their reported lower margins and benefits range. This insurer offers a range of plans with varying benefits and costs. It’s best to compare available plans with your specific needs and requirements to choose the best plan for you.What does CBHS Health Fund stand for?
It stands for Commonwealth Bank Health Society which was started by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia in 1951 to provide cost-effective health care.Who can join CBHS?
CBHS offers health insurance to eligible members. Eligible members include past and present employees and contractors of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and their family members.Does CBHS cover MRI?
This insurer provides benefits towards scans, screenings and tests if Medicare does not cover these. Medicare will cover an MRI if the test has been prescribed by a doctor who accepts Medicare as a means to make a diagnosis and advise on the necessary treatment.Does CBHS cover laser eye surgery?
Their Comprehensive Hospital Cover (Gold) offers restricted benefits for services that Medicare does not cover. Examples of such services include cosmetic services, podiatric surgery and laser eye surgery.
Hello there,
Is CBHS Prestige the best cover for my daughter who has Bipolar Disorder and occasionally needs to be cared for a private psychiatric hospital? Also, I understand that with acute mental health conditions there is no longer any waiting period. Is that correct?
Hi Lynette.
Whether CBHS is the best option for your daughter depends on her unique requirements and your budget. You might want to compare health funds that cover psychiatric and psychological services.
From April 2018, all private Hospital policyholders with restricted psychiatric cover can upgrade to a higher policy without having to serve a waiting period. However, if you do not have Hospital cover yet, you generally still need to serve the 2 month waiting period. However, this varies from fund to fund.
Which is the best health fund covering major dental costs?
Is there one which doesn’t make u wait a year?
Thanks
Hi Jenny. Thanks for reaching out.
Generally, benefits for major dental services are covered by Top Extras policies, the most comprehensive Extras option.
While a 12 month waiting period for major dental is pretty standard, it might differ between health funds.
Hi there.
Just wondering if this insurance covers me when I am away on holiday?
Hi Sora.
A CBHS policy will generally not provide coverage for treatments or services received in countries outside of Australia. Ambulance transfers between hospitals for residents in VIC, SA and NT will also be excluded.
I was an employee of Colonial State Bank up till Feb 1998. As Colonial was taken over by Comm Bank would I be eligible to join this CBHS?
Hi Greg.
According to the CBHS website, if you were employed in one of the CBA group of companies, including Colonial Limited and Colonial First State, you could qualify for a health insurance policy from them. It’s best to contact them directly.
I currently have BUPA Top Hospital with $250 excess and Classic Extra for a single woman aged 69 living in Queensland. Premiums currently $95.65 per fortnight.
What is the equivalent cover through CBHS?
I am a former employee of the Commonwealth Bank – 1966 to 1976
Hello Christine,
It’s best to fill in the quote form above and speak with a specialist because each health fund is so different, it’s not like comparing apples to apples. You can also call directly on 1300 786 328.
Hi, in your opinion, do you think CBHS is a good health fund? I am looking at the comprehensive hospital and top extras.
Many thanks
Sharon
Hi Sharon,
Thanks for your comment.
Whether CBHS health insurance is a good health fund for you depends on your specific requirements and budget, one size does not fit all.
It might be worth it for you to compare CBHS with other top private health insurance companies to determine which one offers you the most value.
I suggest you have a read of our best hospital and extras health insurance article with its step-by-step guide on how to choose the right health insurer.