The customer centric ethos of not-for-profit and member owned health funds has again been highlighted in the latest Private Health Insurance Ombudsman (PHIO) Quarterly Bulletin.
This Bulletin shows that from the July to September quarter hirmaa funds, which comprise approximately 9.6% of the private health insurance market, accounted for only 3.7% of all complaints.
Further, despite complaints received against private health insurers increasing by 10% from the previous quarter, complaints against hirmaa funds reduced by 1%.
Of particular note was the significant jump in complaints around service and membership matters from the same time last year.
Matthew Koce, CEO of hirmaa, the peak body for 20 not-for-profit, member owned and community based health funds, has again urged Australian consumers look carefully at which health insurers have a long standing of record of customer satisfaction and engagement.
“The latest PHIO data shows the key complaint drivers being membership and service issues, this is where the not-for-profit and member owned funds stand out from the rest of the industry. Our members consistently achieve higher levels of customer satisfaction than the industry average.”
“Consumers need to be aware that there is a stark contrast between the not-for-profit and member owned hirmaa health insurers and the rest of the industry. Not-for-profit and member owned health funds exist only to serve their members, this is why our funds consistently lead the industry in terms of customer satisfaction”.
“The strong consumer performance of the hirmaa insurers is backed up by independent research conducted by Discovery Research. An average overall customer satisfaction score of 97 per cent was recorded across the more than 21,000 responses received through participating not-for-profit hirmaa insurers.”
“Whether it be quality of health cover, communication to members, fast payment of claims, value for money or price competitiveness, all the evidence suggests that the not-for-profit and member owned hirmaa funds are leading the health insurance industry,” Mr Koce said.
hirmaa is the peak industry body for twenty private health insurers which are member-owned and not- for- profit. In all, the hirmaa funds provide private health insurance for over one million Australians.
A copy of the latest Private Health Insurance Ombudsman (PHIO) Quarterly Bulletin can be found here.
Download a copy of this media release here: 2016-10-3-media-release-phio-hirmaa-industry-leaders