Can I suspend my cover?

Suspending your health cover is to put it on hold temporarily. You can suspend your cover for one of two reasons:

• overseas travel
• financial hardship

Overseas travel

How exciting! You’re going overseas. Your health insurance is only valid while you’re in Australia so you can put your membership on hold while you’re away. Here’s what you need to know:

• you need to have been a financial member of TUH for at least 12 months 
• you can suspend your cover for a minimum of 2 calendar months to a maximum of 3 years 
• premiums must be paid up to the date after you leave Australia, i.e. your suspension date plus one day 
• you can suspend your policy twice per calendar year. The second suspension can start after you’ve re-activated your policy for a period equal to the length of your previous absence or 9 months, whichever is shorter 
• no claims can be made while your membership is suspended
• any waiting periods not completed before suspending your cover will continue when the membership is re-activated
   

Ready to go? Grab your flight details and fill out the simple request form below.

Financial hardship

We understand things can change in an instant. If you’re finding times tough right now, you may be able to suspend for financial hardship. Here’s what you need to know:

• We'll consider your request to suspend your cover if you experience:
  • loss of employment
  • significant decline in retirement income due to extraordinary circumstances
  • significant extraordinary events like natural disasters
• You need to have been a financial member of TUH for at least 6 months 
• You can suspend your cover for a minimum of 1 month to a maximum of 12 months 
• Multiple suspensions are allowed, however, cover must be re-activated for at least 12 months between suspensions
• No claims can be made while your cover is suspended or for treatment received while your cover was suspended
• Any waiting periods not completed before suspending your cover will continue when the membership is re-activated
• Suspending your hospital cover can have tax implications related to the Medicare Levy Surcharge. We recommend chatting to your accountant or the ATO before making this decision
   

Click the button below to fill out the membership suspension request form.