Switching your health insurance to Bupa

Here's what you need to know if you're joining us from another registered Australian or international insurer.
 
What is a clearance certificate? A clearance certificate, also known as a transfer certificate, is a record of your health insurance cover. If you've joined us from another health fund, we'll need a clearance certificate from them.

We use your clearance certificate to confirm the following:

  • your level of cover
  • the people insured under your policy
  • limits you've used
  • waiting periods you've served
  • paid hospital days
  • certified age of entry (CAE)
  • age-based discount
  • your Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) loading

This information helps us make sure that:

  • we calculate your premium correctly when you join Bupa.
  • we consider any limits you've reached, or still have remaining.
  • we know what services you've already served a waiting period for.
Swipe to view more
How to get a clearance certificate You can contact your previous fund to cancel your cover and ask them to send us a clearance certificate, or we can cancel your old cover for you.
Will I need to serve waiting periods again?

You do not need to re-serve waiting periods you have already served if:

  • you've switched to Bupa on an equivalent or lower level of cover and;
  • it's within 60 days of your previous fund’s end cover date.

Any new services or higher benefits on your new level of cover will have a waiting period of up to 12 months. During this waiting period, we'll pay benefits that are equivalent to your previous level of cover.

 If you want to move some of your cover to Bupa

We'll only send a cancellation request for the type of cover you will have with Bupa. For example, if you're applying for extras cover with us, and you have hospital cover with your old fund, we'll only request to cancel your extras cover.

 If there are multiple people on a policy

We'll only request to cancel for those who want to switch their cover.
Moving your overseas visitors cover (OVC) or Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)?

We only accept portability from registered Australian insurers. Depending on your visa type or the product, you may need to serve waiting periods.

OVC customers have up to 60 days to transfer their portability from their previous fund. However, customers joining OSHC will only have portability if there is no gap between cover.

 If you're joining us from an overseas health fund

You must provide, in English, a certificate of currency, clearance certificate, or an official letter from your previous fund with the following:

  • level of cover held.
  • cover inclusions, restricted cover/restrictions and exclusions (with supporting brochures or cover documents where possible).
  • persons covered.
  • cover start and end dates.

Email your certificate and supporting documentation as an attachment to healthenq@bupa.com.au.
Frequently asked questions If we do not get a clearance certificate or certificate of currency, we cannot confirm your previous cover. This means you would join Bupa as if you were getting health insurance for the first time, and waiting periods may apply. It can take a few weeks for Bupa to request, receive and process your clearance certificate. By law, health funds have 14 days to send a clearance certificate to another fund. We'll let you know when we've received it or if we need to follow-up with your previous fund. Before you switch, you can check the payments on your policy with your previous fund to see where you are paid up to. Let us know the date paid to so we can start your new policy and ensure you have continuous cover. If you have a hospital admission within 48 hours, call us on 134 135 so we can help you with your enquiry.