Your health insurance policy will usually be cancelled if you fail to make payments for two consecutive months. People rejoining after such a cancellation may have to serve all waiting periods again. Some funds do not send reminder notices if your premiums fall behind. Most private health funds won't pay benefits if you make a claim two years after the treatment was provided. If legal action or other unforeseen circumstances prevent you making a claim, contact the fund.
Many funds have products with excesses.
A few funds require members to contribute to the cost of any hospital treatment by paying a certain amount for each day of your hospital stay. These are charges are called co-payments. There are a number of ways that health funds apply limits, excesses and co-payments. It is important for you to understand this before selecting a policy. Ask your fund for details.