When it comes to health insurance, all health funds are alike, right? Well, not quite.

There are two types of private health funds – those that exist to make profits for their investors, and those that focus on their members, the member-owned funds.

Latrobe Health Services is a not-for-profit private health insurer established in 1951 and proudly member-owned. This means our focus is to provide for the health care needs of our 90,000 members, many of them regional Australians.

What makes member-owned different?

Caring for our members is not just what we do, it’s who we are. And it’s more than just a friendly voice on the other end of the phone or a smile when you come into our branches.

We belong to the Members Health Fund Alliance, an alliance of 27 health insurance funds that share the principle of putting members' health before profits.

As a member-owned fund, we aim to provide a range of products – both hospital and extras covers - to suit all circumstances and the best value for money possible.

We support our members in times of hardship: as an example, we established an $8M support package to assist our members doing it tough through the Coronavirus crisis.

We give back

We recognize that the health of our members relies on the health of the communities in which they live. This is why we also support initiatives that open up access to health services in regional communities throughout Australia – including Gippsland, the region in which we were established.

• Latrobe owns and operates Maryvale Private Hospital in Victoria and provides support to a number of Gippsland-based community health clinics to continue to provide services;

• We donated $75,000 in January 2020 for bushfire relief;

• We provided a $1M contribution to grass-roots organizations working with families and young people experiencing family violence and mental health crises, many as a result of the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic;

• Our staff participates in charitable-giving and volunteer programs;

• We provide community sponsorships, such as Morwell Neighbourhood House’s therapy dog Honeybell.

Who are our members?

Latrobe Health Services was established in 1951 by power industry workers in the Latrobe Valley in Gippsland, Victoria, with the goal of providing for the health care needs of the region.

Gippsland is still our heartland, but these days Latrobe’s members come from throughout Australia and are often regionally based. They comprise people from all walks of life, from young professionals and families to retirees.

We’re also seeing an increase in membership by younger Australians who are looking for a health fund with heart.

What next?

Explore our range of great value hospital cover products and extras products to discover the one that’s right for you. Or if you’d prefer, contact our Member Service Centre on 1300 362 144 for more information on health cover to best suit your needs.