Bushfires: Health fund premiums waived for disaster victims

Funds including BUPA, Medibank and Latrobe Health announced premium waivers for bushfire disaster victims.

Health funds are offering to waive the insurance premiums of ­members affected by the bushfire disaster.

Funds including Bupa, Medibank and Latrobe Health announced premium waivers along with free dental and optical treatments for bushfire disaster victims and donations to fire agencies.

Bupa, the health fund with the most members in Australia, will waive premiums for members who have received Australian government disaster recovery payments and had insurance as of January 1.

It has also approved 20 days’ paid community service leave for employees involved in the firefighting and disaster relief effort and free dental and optical ser­vices for eligible members.

Bupa will also donate $100,000 to the Red Cross and $10,000 to each Rural Fire Service and Country Fire Authority where Bupa’s aged care homes have been impacted, starting with Eden, Tumut and Bairnsdale.

Medibank is extending the premium relief it announced for NSW and Queensland members in Nov­ember to all affected members, offering a premium waiver for three months. It will also contribute $120,000 to support the Red Cross in disaster relief and recovery.

Latrobe Health, founded in the Gippsland region, offered a premium waiver of up to six months for bushfire-affected members.

Private Healthcare Australia said bushfire-affected members of other health funds should get in touch with their insurers to check what support was on offer.