Every year, health insurers review their premiums to ensure they are priced accordingly against the rise in healthcare costs.

In February 2026, Latrobe Health will start communicating with members about changes to their 2026 health insurance premium, that will take effect 1 April 2026.

No. Latrobe Health is a not-for-profit, member owned health fund, which means we don’t report to shareholders and we don’t pay out profits. If there is a surplus from a premium increase, that money is added directly back into the fund’s reserves. 

These savings help us: 

• pay for future member claims 

• improve the benefits we offer, and  

• cover operational costs and overheads (which are quite low – around 10 cents in every dollar). 

Because we are not-for-profit, any surplus is used to improve services for our members, and enhancing support for community programs aligned with our purpose and member needs, not paid out to shareholders. Our focus is always on delivering quality cover and exceptional service for our members. 

We understand that changes to your premium amount can be a concern, particularly when cost of living is high. That’s why we offer rate protection, a way to secure your current rate for a set period. Below are some frequently asked questions about rate protection.

What is rate protection?

Rate protection allows you to lock in your current premium rate for a specific period, protecting you from rate increases during that time. If premium rates are increased within the period that you have already paid for your insurance, you will not have to pay increased rates until that period ends. This provides predictability and peace of mind, knowing your premiums won't changes for the duration of that advance payment.

How long can I lock in my current rate?

You can lock in your current rate for 13 months, six months, three months, one month or one fortnight worth of premiums, provided you make the payment on or before 31 March 2026.

My premium increases on 1 April 2026. If I lock in my current rate for 12 months, will I avoid paying the increase?

Yes! You can lock in your current rate for 13 months, provided you pay on or before 31 March 2026. However, after the 13-month rate protection period expires, your rate will be adjusted to reflect the 2026 premium amount. Please note, you cannot pay beyond 31 March 2027.

How do I take advantage of rate protection?

1. Log into your Latrobe Health Online Account or app. You can register and login here https://www.latrobehealth.com.au/my-latrobe-online-account/.
2. Navigate to the payment details section and select a date up to 13 months in the future. Selecting a date means you’re choosing to pay your premiums at the current rate until the selected future date.   
3. Provide your card details and press ‘process payment’

I want to lock in my premium rate from 31 March 2026 to 30 March 2027. Do I have to wait until 31 March 2026 to arrange this?

No, you don’t have to wait until 31 March 2026 to lock this rate in for that period. You can make a payment 13 months in advance via your online account or app in the payment section. Just make sure you select the ‘paid to’ date to as the day before your next payment is due.  

For example, if you make a 13-month payment on the 11 February 2026, you will be covered until 10 March 2027, and your next payment will be due on the 11 March 2027.

If I make a 6- or 12-month advance payment, will I receive a discount.

Yes, if you make a 6-month advance payment you will receive a 1% discount, and if you make a 12-month advance payment, you will receive a 2 % discount.  Please note, this only applies to annual and biannual payments. Payments for other durations are not subject to this discount.

Latrobe Health Services is a not-for-profit health fund and is part of the Members Health alliance, which means the focus stays on members, not shareholders.  

In 2025, we were recognised nationally for member satisfaction and ease of claiming, with awards from Canstar, Finder and WeMoney. These reflect real member feedback and everyday experiences. 

But awards are only part of the story. Real value is felt day to day through lower out‑of‑pocket costs, simple claiming and access to care. 

Latrobe Health members also benefit from exclusive optical savings with Specsavers and OPSM, plus access to guided health programs for mental health, cancer recovery, heart health, osteoarthritis and more - many available from home. 

Your membership also supports the wider community through partnerships with The Latrobe Health Foundation, Phoenix Australia and Shane Warne Legacy. 

Latrobe Health Services membership is about practical support, better value and care that fits into real life. 

The value of private health insurance is clear when you use it (and not all health episodes are planned).  Keeping your private health cover means you will:

• have access to the best private hospitals with state-of-the art facilities when you need care
• be able to choose your doctor, giving you trust in the quality of care and outcomes.
• not have to spend months (or even years) on a public hospital waiting list
• save yourself tax (if you’re a high-income earner) by not having to pay the Medicare Levy Surcharge
• avoid a Lifetime Health Cover loading (by having hospital cover before you turn 31)
• have additional health services not covered by Medicare, such as dental, physiotherapy and remedial massage. If you’ve got private health insurance cover with extras, this can help with the cost of these services.

Health insurance is much more than a cost – it’s about giving you more choice for your healthcare, less time waiting for the services you need and (most importantly) the peace of mind to know that you’ll be looked after when you need it most.

We understand there are services that some of our Members won’t need, but still have peace of mind that they are covered for unexpected or specific health needs. That’s why we provide a range of covers to suit all budgets and life circumstances. Our Silver Plus hospital cover has fewer exclusions, and our Bronze covers the most common hospital treatments.

We can help you choose the right cover for services you use regularly, or for a specific need like optical, dental, massage or physiotherapy. Please note, if you do remove cover waiting periods will apply if you want to add that cover back on at any point, including 12 months for obstetrics and pre-existing conditions, and two months for psychiatric, rehabilitation and palliative care.

If you would like to review your cover to ensure you are on the best product suited to your needs, please call us on 1300 362 144 (Mon–Fri: 8.30am–4.30pm, AEST/AEDT) to complete a cover review.

The Australian Government calculates the national average based on the premium increases it approves for all Australian health funds.

Because your premium increase relates to your chosen level of Latrobe Health cover, it may be different to the national average (or the Latrobe Health average). Your premium increase reflects the balance between managing member payments against the claims we pay out for all members on your level of cover in your state.

When it comes to reviewing our rates, we look at every level of cover individually and work out how much we need to increase the cost by to keep people covered, including the cost of claims.

We’ll keep doing everything we can to keep our costs as low as possible while still giving you great quality cover.

Because we’re a not-for-profit fund, we only ever increase membership payments by what it costs to pay claims and keep our fund running. Any increases we make are closely reviewed and approved by the Australian Federal Government.

Any net operating margin earned as a result of this rate increase will be directly added to the fund’s reserves to ensure the future payment of claims, benefits for members, and covering our operational costs and overheads (which we keep extremely low each year – around 10c in every dollar).

To calculate a premium, we use claims and service cost data from previous years to estimate the amount we’ll need to spend in the coming year. Premiums are then adjusted for each type of cover so we can safely cover those predicted costs.

Premium increases aren’t calculated at an individual member level. Your premium change just depends on the kind of cover you have. Community rating applies to private health insurance, it means everyone with the same cover will have the same premium change.

Your final premium amount each year will be a combination of the cover's premium change, any discounts that you have, your Lifetime Health Cover loading, and, if applicable (and in addition) your Australian Government Rebate on Private Health Insurance.

Calculation of premium increases is subject to external scrutiny. To obtain a premium increase an application must be submitted to the Australian Government Minister for Health. The Department of Health and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), the independent health insurance financial regulator, assess all applications to increase premiums before these are passed to the Minister of Health to consider. A health fund needs to provide sufficient information to demonstrate to the Minister of Health that the increase is necessary. If an increase is regarded as contrary to the public interest it will not be approved.

As of 20 October 2025, members who held Silver Hospital $500 Excess and Silver Hospital $750 Excess have had their cover upgraded. It is now called Essential Silver Hospital Plus, and this cover still includes everything that a Silver Hospital product does with the added inclusions of Sleep Studies (previously Excluded) and Rehabilitation (previously Restricted).   

We added full cover for Rehabilitation because members will often choose Silver to ensure that they're covered for Heart and Vascular treatment, but many of those treatments can involve lengthy rehabilitation programs which aren't covered by a standard Silver Hospital cover. 

Accident Advantage means that if you’re admitted to hospital as a result of an accident, we’ll cover treatment for that accident even if it falls within clinical categories that were previously restricted or excluded under standard hospital cover. Accident Advantage is now included on our Bronze, Bronze Plus, Silver, Essential Silver Plus and Silver Plus hospital products. Click here to learn more about Accident Advantage.

What is Access Gap Cover?  

The AHSA Access Gap Cover Scheme is a medical gap cover scheme administered by AHSA on behalf of participating funds. It consists of state-based fee schedules and includes provision for either “No Gap” or a “Known Gap” benefit. The benefits are: 

• Doctors will get paid a higher benefit  

• Bills will come directly to Latrobe Health 

• Either no gap or a known gap - capped at $800 for obstetric admissions or $500 for all other hospital admissions.  

• No bill shock 

For more information on Access Gap cover, click here.

To find more information about your product or policy you can:

• refer to the policy document we sent you with your letter or email
• log into the Latrobe Heath Online Account or app, find your policy document and view limits and waiting periods applicable to you.

The Latrobe Health Online Account and app lets you view your benefit limits, review payment options and access information about your policy. You can register and log in here https://www.latrobehealth.com.au/my-latrobe-online-account/. To get started, you’ll need your membership number, email and mobile number.

We are proud to be a part of Private Health Care Australia and the Members Health Fund Alliance. These industry groups act on our behalf on matters of importance within the industry, such as rising healthcare costs. For more information, visit the Department of Health's website.

Your premium letter or email will include your Private Health Insurance Statement (PHIS) as it is a Federal Government requirement that every year we send you a copy. The PHIS outlines your cover with a list of what is and is not covered as well as your waiting periods and limits for the year.

The premiums shown on the PHIS may differ from the premium in your letter. This is because the PHIS displays the standard premium only. It does not include any government rebate, Lifetime Health Cover loading or age-based discounts, which may apply to your policy and change the amount you pay.

For those who have an Ambulance Victoria membership as part of your cover, the PHIS also excludes this amount if this applies to you, the product code at the top of this letter will include an “A”.

For more information on the age-based discount, Lifetime Health Cover loading and/or the Australian Government Private Health Insurance Rebate, head privatehealth.gov.au.

The Australian Government Rebate on private health insurance was introduced in 1999 to help make health insurance more affordable.

Each year on 1 April, the government compares the national average of health fund premium increases to the standard cost of living in Australia, known as Consumer Price Index (CPI). Unfortunately, because the rebate is a government initiative, we don’t have control over the reduction amount. For more information on changes to the rebate visit privatehealth.gov.au or ato.gov.au

If you reside in NSW or the ACT, your premium includes ambulance levies set by state or territory governments, which apply to all private health insurers. This funding system subsidises ambulance services for insured members. For more information, see:

• Ambulance Service of NSW 

• ACT Ambulance Service 

As a not-for-profit-for-profit, member owned health fund based in regional Victoria, Latrobe Health is committed to supporting members during challenging times and improving health outcomes across regional communities. Through ongoing investment in programs and partnerships, we continue to focus on accessibility, equity, and community wellbeing. 

In 2025, we strengthened this commitment through a range of health initiatives and community programs, including: 

• Launching the Latrobe Health Services Foundation, dedicated to delivering better health outcomes for rural and regional communities. 

• Awarding nine grants to community focused health initiatives that improve health literacy, accessibility, equity, and affordability in regional areas. 

• Sponsoring the Gippsland Business Awards to celebrate local business excellence and support regional employment opportunities. 

• Delivering more than 158,400 free Shane Warne Legacy health checks nationwide at regional hubs and community events, including 7,341 checks at the 2025 Boxing Day Test. 

• Donating gifts to children in regional Victoria through Quantum Support Services’ Christmas Appeal. 

• Sponsoring scholarships for the Gippsland Community Leadership Program. 

• Partnering with Phoenix Australia to expand access to trauma informed resources and bulkbilled posttraumatic specialist services in regional Victoria. 

• Offering Latrobe Health members holistic health programs, including the Cardihab heart health program. 

The Latrobe Health Online Account and app are a great way to view your benefit limits, policy details and make changes to your payment arrangement. But if you’d prefer to speak with us, our friendly team of health cover experts are always happy to discuss your health insurance needs.  Give us a call on 1300 362 144, Mon-Fri: 8.30am–4.30pm AEST/AEDT. 

We usually receive high call volumes this time of year, so you can also email info@lhs.com.au or ask us in branch. 

You can also find more information about how private health insurance works at private health care explained or take a look at our member guide.

If you feel your current coverage doesn’t meet your lifestyle and health needs, it’s time to review your cover. It’s important to remember, when comparing other policies, make sure you’re comparing like-for-like. If you’re on a Gold Hospital product, you’re on the most comprehensive hospital product you can buy anywhere in the market – so every cover below Gold (Silver Plus, Silver, Bronze Plus and Bronze) is likely to be cheaper but also have exclusions.

Compare Latrobe Health’s hospital covers and extras covers, or call us on 1300 362 144.