Mildura Health Fund (MHF) has announced that they will freeze their approved 1 April 2022 premium increase for six months to return claims savings back to their members due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mildura Health Chief Executive Officer, Gerard Op de Coul said, “As a not for profit, member owned health fund, we made a commitment to our members that we would not profit from COVID-19 and that savings in claims would be returned to members through a range of initiatives.

“Our focus since the start of the pandemic has been to support our members wherever possible. This has been demonstrated by deferring the 2020 premium increase for six months, rolling over unused general treatment benefit limits from 2021 to 2022 and now by deferring the 2022 premium increase for six months.”

The premium freeze is on top of other support already provided by MHF to their members during the pandemic, these include the introduction of telehealth services, benefits paid towards COVID-19 related hospitalisation and a COVID-19 financial hardship package for members facing direct financial challenges due to the pandemic.

“We understand that lockdowns and restrictions have affected our members ability to access health services reducing their capacity to claim against their health insurance policy” he said.

Mr. Op de Coul said that the organisation would continue to monitor future claiming trends and if savings arise, they will be proactively seek ways to support members.

“It is hard to quantify and predict when the catch up in claims will occur, and whilst there has been a reduction in some clinical areas, the Fund has seen an increase in claims in mental health and telehealth services”, he added.