| Latrobe Health Services | |
|---|---|
| Registered insurer | Latrobe Health Services Limited |
| Who can join | Open to anyone |
| Business structure | Member-owned mutual, not-for-profit |
| Hospital policies (30 June 2025) | 53,009 (0.9% of all hospital policies), covering 105,140 people |
| Hospital tiers on sale (1 September 2026) | Gold, Silver Plus, Silver, Bronze Plus, Bronze, Basic Plus |
| Excess options on open hospital policies | $250, $500, $750 |
| Age-based discount (18-29) | Offered on some of its open hospital policies |
| Ambulance | Emergency ambulance included on its open hospital policies |
| Question | What the official data shows |
|---|---|
| Out-of-pocket costs in hospital | 81.0% of in-hospital medical services had no gap for the member (industry 87.1%), and 89.7% of hospital charges were covered (industry 89.0%), 2024-25 |
| Waiting periods and pre-existing conditions | The legal maximums apply: 12 months for a pre-existing condition (signs or symptoms in the 6 months before you joined or upgraded) and for pregnancy and birth, 2 months for other hospital treatment. Every hospital policy open to new members in the Government's data at 1 October 2026, at every fund, used the 12-month pre-existing wait |
| Switching from another fund | Waits you've already served on the same or a lower level of cover carry across to Latrobe Health Services, and from it. Ask your old fund for a clearance certificate and keep the break between policies short |
| The Medicare Levy Surcharge | Excess options on its open hospital policies go up to $750, so all are within the $750 singles limit, and every policy was flagged as meeting the surcharge rules in the Government's data at 1 October 2026 |
| Adult children (dependants) | Up to age 31, studying or not, in the fund's own record (Government data, 1 October 2026). Adult dependants often need an extended family option |
| Claims experience | 0.5% of Ombudsman complaints about insurers on a 0.7% market share (ratio 0.71), and 2.7% of the complaints the Ombudsman investigated, 2024-25 |
General advice only. This information doesn't take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether the product is right for you and read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) before you decide. We don't compare every product in the market, and we may earn a commission if you take up a product through our links.
Structure
PrivateHealth.gov.au describes Latrobe Health Services as a mutual organisation operating on a not-for-profit basis, with Federation Health as one of its brands. The fund says it was established in 1951. It sells corporate products as well as retail cover, but no overseas visitors or overseas student policies.
Complaints and retention
Latrobe accounted for 0.5% of Ombudsman complaints about insurers in 2024-25 against a 0.7% market share. Its share of investigated complaints was higher, 2.7%, from a small base: a handful of investigations moves the percentage a lot for a fund this size. Retention was 74.6%, the lowest of the funds we review and well below the industry's 85.0%.
Benefits, costs and gaps
Latrobe paid 82.9% of premium income as benefits (industry 84.5%). Its management expenses were 17.4% of contribution income, well above the industry's 10.9%; small funds carry fixed costs over fewer members. Hospital charges covered were 89.7% (industry 89.0%). 81.0% of in-hospital medical services had no gap (industry 87.1%), but 99.3% had no gap or a known gap, the best of the funds we review, meaning members were usually told the cost in advance. Extras paid 39.3% of charges on average (industry 50.7%).
What Latrobe sells
Its open hospital policies at 1 September 2026 cover Gold (a corporate policy), Silver Plus, Silver, Bronze Plus, Bronze and Basic Plus, with $250, $500 and $750 excess options. Most were listed with the age-based discount, and all include emergency ambulance.
Latrobe Health Services against the industry: 2024-25 data
Every year the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman compares all insurers on the same measures, and PrivateHealth.gov.au republishes the results on each insurer's profile. The table below is Latrobe Health Services's, with the industry result beside each figure. Its complaints-to-market-share ratio was 0.71: a figure of 1.00 means complaints exactly in proportion to size.
| Measure | Latrobe Health Services | Industry | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share of all Ombudsman complaints | 0.5% | Market share 0.7% | Fewer complaints than its size |
| Share of investigated complaints | 2.7% | Market share 0.7% | |
| Member retention (hospital cover) | 74.6% | 85.0% | Weaker than industry |
| Benefits paid as % of premiums | 82.9% | 84.5% | Weaker than industry |
| Management expenses % of premium income | 17.4% | 10.9% | Weaker than industry |
| Hospital charges covered | 89.7% | 89.0% | Better than industry |
| Medical services with no gap | 81.0% | 87.1% | Weaker than industry |
| Medical services with no gap or a known gap | 99.3% | 97.1% | Better than industry |
| Extras (general treatment) charges covered | 39.3% | 50.7% | Weaker than industry |
How to read it: complaint share is the fairest single comparison of service across funds of different sizes, because it's measured against market share. Benefits as a % of premiums shows how much of the premium pool went back to members as claims; a mutual that returns more is not necessarily cheaper, and a fund can move this figure by changing prices. The gap measures show how often members avoided an out-of-pocket medical bill after a hospital stay, which is what most people mean by "good cover".
Hospital agreements
| ACT | NSW | VIC | QLD | SA | WA | TAS | NT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private hospitals | 5 | 88 | 68 | 50 | 16 | 21 | 6 | 1 |
| Most held by any insurer | 7 | 95 | 73 | 63 | 17 | 23 | 7 | 1 |
| Day hospitals | 7 | 80 | 55 | 43 | 23 | 20 | 8 | 2 |
| Most held by any insurer | 11 | 109 | 73 | 58 | 35 | 28 | 12 | 2 |
What to check before you join Latrobe Health Services
- Retention (74.6%) and extras benefits (39.3% of charges) were well below the industry in 2024-25.
- Its only Gold policy in the product data was a corporate one; check whether you are eligible.
- Management expenses were high relative to the industry, as is common for smaller funds.
- Over 31 and joining for the first time? Work out your Lifetime Health Cover loading first, and if you earn over the threshold, check the Medicare Levy Surcharge you'd avoid.
Common questions about Latrobe Health Services
Is Latrobe Health not-for-profit?
Yes. PrivateHealth.gov.au lists Latrobe Health Services as a mutual organisation operating on a not-for-profit basis.
Is Federation Health part of Latrobe Health?
Yes. PrivateHealth.gov.au lists Federation Health as a brand of Latrobe Health Services.
Can you join Latrobe Health if you don't live in Victoria?
Yes. It is an open fund and operates in all states and territories.
Other fund reviews
See every registered health insurer compared on complaints and benefits, or read how the private health insurance rebate and hospital cover tiers work.
General advice only. It doesn't consider your circumstances. Read the PDS and TMD before you decide.
This review is general information based on published government and regulator data. We don't rate or rank funds, and it doesn't consider your circumstances. Check a policy's Private Health Information Statement before you buy.