Grand united corporate health (gu health) review

Overview

Grand United Corporate Health (GU Health) specialises in corporate health insurance. They currently service over 300 businesses across Australia, tailoring each company’s health plan to their industry, budget, payroll structures and employee profile.

Since 2020, GU Health has been backed by nib, one of Australia’s largest health insurers by market share.

Hospital cover

Nobody chooses to go to hospital. But when you do, appropriate hospital cover will help you get the treatment you need, where and when you want it.

It also helps to pay the bills, as fees for hospital rooms and specialists can add up.

Think about what services you’re likely to need, in line with your budget. If you earn over $90,000 individually or $180,000 as a couple, taking out appropriate hospital cover may help you avoid paying the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS).

GU Health offers uniquely corporate health plans tailored to the businesses they partner with, they have a rather extensive list of hospital policies on offer. Existing members of GU Health have access to a members-online online portal to review their policy details. 

However, in most cases, GU Health covers policy-holders for in-hospital treatments at private hospitals for eligible services, including:

• Accommodation for overnight or same-day stays

• Operating theatre, intensive care and labour ward fees 

• Supplied in-hospital medication approved by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), excluding take-home medication

• Allied health services that are directly related to your admission and provided by the hospital (e.g. physiotherapy)

Ambulance cover 

Depending on the state you live in and your level of hospital cover, you’ll either receive full ambulance cover, or you may be entitled to emergency transport only. 

Members can check their level of ambulance cover at the Members Portal. 

Extras cover 

From dental, to optical, to chiro and more, extras insurance helps cover the bills for routine treatments with rebates of up to 100%.

It’s always worth digging a little deeper into the fine print. That way, you can find out more about any gap fees, how much you can claim back, and whether your preferred healthcare provider is recognised by the health fund.

Take the time to work out what you need and what you’re prepared to pay. If this feels a bit overwhelming, our experts will be happy to help .

As GU Health only offers corporate health plans tailored to the companies they work with, we cannot provide a complete list of the various extras policies  on offer. However, generally they include cover for the following common services, which you can claim through your HICAPS portal:

• General dental

• Major dental

• Optical

• Physiotherapy

• Chiropractic and osteopathy

• Dietetics

• Psychology

• Podiatry

• Speech therapy

• Acupuncture

• Remedial massage

• Occupational therapy

Waiting periods

Waiting periods are there to stop people from signing up, claiming and then cancelling their cover. It means once you take out a new plan, you may have to wait a certain amount of time before receiving your benefit.

When you switch to GU Health from another provider, your waiting periods may be waived, unless your new policy covers something you didn’t have before.

Details of GU Health’s waiting periods aren’t available to the public, but members can log in to the online portal to check their waiting periods.

Member benefits

By signing up to GU Health’s online wellness portal, members receive personalised health information and recommendations to help them better manage their health.

They are able to provide employers with health and wellness data and reports on their corporate health plan showing them how their investment is making a difference. 

They can also provide employers with information that will enable them to develop targeted wellness solutions to combat issues affecting their staff.

GU Health also offers a SplitPay solution, enabling companies to contain costs, while allowing employees access to comprehensive cover options. 

Employers are able to create a partially-subsidised private health insurance plan to which both employers and employees can contribute. 

In addition, GU Health is the only Australian health fund offering a streamlined non-resident RHCA health cover designed to ensure non-resident staff can apply for exemption from the MLS.

This eliminates the need to purchase additional cover components.

GU Health also has a mobile app that allows members to keep track of their cover as well as have easy access to their GU Health member card.

How to claim

Hospital

Simply tell the hospital you hold a GU Health policy. Your hospital account will be sent directly to GU Health for assessment.

It can be a good idea to call your fund before your admission date to check what benefits you’re entitled to and if there may be any out-of-pocket expenses to consider. 

Extras

You can swipe your membership card to claim directly on the spot using  your provider’s HICAPS or iSOFT terminal.

Members can also claim after the treatment via the GU Health mobile claiming app or through email, fax or mail.

Hospital agreements

GU Health has agreements with a large number of hospital and day surgery providers across Australia.

When comparing policies, it’s worth checking if your preferred local hospitals and clinics are covered. Our specialists at Compare Club will be happy to help.

Customer service

GU Health has received 8.1% of all private health insurer complaints in 2020. The company has  a market share of 9.2%¹. 

FAQ

1. Is GU Health a not-for-profit fund?

No. GU Health is a for-profit fund and it part of the NIB Group

2. Who can apply? Are there restrictions? 

GU Health is a specialist corporate insurer, so only employees of eligible businesses can apply for health plans.

3. Is it easy to switch to GU Health Fund?

GU Health isn’t on our panel so it’s best to talk to  contact them directly if you’re an employer.  However, we’re confident the Compare Club team can find you a great deal from the insurers on our panel.

4. Do I need to re-serve waiting periods?

If you switch to an equivalent or lower level of cover, GU Health may waive your waiting periods.  However, you may need to serve new waiting periods if you have upgraded to a higher level of cover.

5. Can I change my level of cover?

Yes, if you’re an employee and your company is insured with GU Health, you can modify your cover with your employer or your insurance provider directly. However, you may need to serve new waiting periods for any higher or new benefits.

6. Do I get the government rebate?

For every dollar of private health insurance premiums, the Australian Government provides eligible Australians with a rebate of up to 33.4% (depending on your age and income). To learn what you’re entitled to, read our rebate guide.

7. Do I have to pay the Lifetime Health Cover loading?

If you’re 31 or over, you usually need to pay 2% loading for each year you’ve gone without hospital cover since the 1st July following your 31st birthday. You can find out more here.

8. Up to what age are children covered?

Children are automatically covered under family cover until they’re 21.

If they are full-time students, they’ll be covered until the day before they turn 25 or cease full-time study (whichever comes first) at no extra cost.

This guide is opinion only and should not be taken as medical or financial advice. Check with a financial professional before making any decisions.

1. Private Health, GU Health Performance statistics, accessed October 2021.