HBF was establiswhed in 1941 as the Perth Metropolitan Hospital Benefits Fund of WA. In 1945 the fund changed its name by deleting Metropolitan - so that contributors would not assume that benefit was restricted to treatment in metropolitan hospitals.

HBF has remained a mutual - not following the demutualisation path of other Australian mutual insurers such as AMP, Colonial Mutual and National Mutual.

The greatest challenge in HBF's history was the introduction of Medibank in 1975 by the Australian Labor Government - establishing a compulsory health insurance scheme that promised to pay at least 85% of standard medical fees. This ended the voluntary health insurance schemes of friendly societies throughout Australia.

The challenge for HBF, and other mutuals throughout Australia, was to reinvent as a diversified financial provider e.g. ambulance coverage, financial planning, health insurance, home and contents insurance, motor vehicle insurance and travel insurance.

For 2005 HBF had a consolidated contributions/premium income of A$765,635,000. It has more than 900,000 members and 660 employees. It is the largest health insurer in WA with a 65.2% market share.

HBF
http://www.hbf.com.au