Suspending your policy is like putting it on hold - you won't pay any premiums. If you suspend your policy, you won't be able to claim for services on your policy during this time.
Australian residents
General suspension
We can suspend your health cover for one of two reasons:
you’re experiencing financial hardship
you’re travelling overseas
Contact us to discuss your situation and how we may be able to help.
Overseas travel suspension
If you’ve been a member with us for 12 months or more, you can put your policy on hold for a period of two to 24 months if you're travelling overseas. If you plan on going overseas before you meet the 12 month eligibility criteria, we can log your suspension to begin once you reach your 12 month membership anniversary.
We’ll need proof of your travel dates, including your full name and the dates you leave and re-enter Australia.
Your policy will not resume automatically when you return - you’ll need to get in touch with us within 30 days of getting home to reactivate your policy.
International members
Travel suspension
For overseas workers, we can suspend your health cover if you're travelling outside of Australia for more than four weeks and less than 24 months, and you've served at least one month of membership with nib. Apply for suspension before you leave by sending proof of your travel dates to [email protected]. To resume your cover, simply contact us.
For overseas students, we can suspend your health cover if you're travelling outside of Australia for a minimum of three months and a maximum of two years. You can only apply for suspension after you return to Australia in the form of a refund - just call us on 13 16 42. Your policy will be resumed from the date you returned to Australia, with any arrears requiring payment.
Important information about suspending your policy
If you haven't finished serving your waiting periods when you suspend your policy, you’ll need to continue serving them once your policy resumes.
If you're an Australian resident and you earn above the Government’s Medicare Levy Surcharge thresholds you could be liable for the Medicare Levy Surcharge for the period of suspension. This is an extra 1% to 1.5% in tax, depending on your circumstances.
If your policy is not resumed within 30 days of the end of the suspension period it could be cancelled. If this happens and you rejoin your cover later, all members on the policy would need to re-serve waiting periods. So make sure you contact us if you need to resume your cover.
