Voted one of Australia’s most trusted health funds is just one of the many accolades Queensland born and bred health fund Teachers Union Health (TUH Health Fund) has achieved as it celebrates its 50th year anniversary.
Based in Fortitude Valley with 140 staff serving nearly 80,000 members, the fund has survived and thrived in what is a very competitive industry with solid growth, high retention and satisfaction rates and is one of the most recommended funds in Australia.
TUH CEO Rob Seljak said the constantly adapting health landscape and member needs meant scenario mapping for the future was an essential part of ensuring funds maintain value and relevance.
“As TUH celebrates its 50th year of servicing members, we have done an outstanding job so far and it’s crucial for the future success of the fund that we continue to adapt to the everchanging needs of our membership, and more importantly, predict what those needs might look like 10, 20 or 50 years from now,” Mr Seljak said.
“Changing member expectations is driving the need for more personalised, digital, seamless and integrated care experiences."
“We have been a leader in the field with our claiming app, service delivery and health management services. When our members need us most we are there."
“We’re committed to keeping our members healthy and well, and being a not-for-profit fund means any surplus goes back to our members, in the form of improving benefits and competitive premiums as well as supporting those healthy lifestyles and access to allied health services."
“The fact that over the past ten years we’ve grown by 60 per cent speaks for itself."
“91 per cent of our members say they are satisfied with their membership, which is the highest percentage of any fund in the country, and well above the industry average of 69 per cent.”
However, TUH isn’t resting on its laurels, with Seljak predicting a whole new set of challenges over the next 50 years.
“There will be significant pressure on smaller funds to compete with the larger organisations, along with rising medical cost and insurance affordability for families,” he said.
“We see an opportunity to continue to enhance and leverage the ever-adapting technology landscape, and also develop innovative ways of incentivising healthy lifestyles to encourage that cycle that has been so impactful to our success.”
TUH Member and retired school principal Adele Rice said she joined the fund nearly 50 years ago when it was newly launched, along with her husband who was also a teacher.
“It was pretty unusual in those days to have private health insurance at such a young age, but we wanted to make sure that with little children we were protected, as you never know what’s around the corner,” Ms Rice said.
“We were fortunate in our early years to not need to access our insurance too much, and I think that was due in part to the commitment TUH makes to supporting its members to be healthy, active, have check-ups and get support from allied health professionals."
“However, my husband became unwell and passed away 25 years ago, and not long after I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and more recently, have required complex spinal surgery."
“As is often the case, we leaned on TUH heavily in the later years of our life, and I am so grateful that my husband initiated our membership with TUH as it’s meant we’ve been supported when we needed it most."
“The care support team has been particularly helpful, and I speak to the same lovely woman every time, who was previously a nurse and will often explain things to me more clearly than the hospital had.”
TUH is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a series of events with its leadership, staff, members and special guests.
