Standard Information Statements

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Standard Information Statements
Standard Information Statements (SIS) are available on all private health insurance policies available in Australia. Health funds are required by law to provide these Statements so you can review your existing policy or compare private health insurance products.
There are three types of Standard Information Statements:
  • Hospital - describes the features and limitations of hospital cover, including the type of accommodation, which medical services are covered in full, part or not covered, waiting periods and additional payments (excesses, co-payments and gaps),
  • General Treatment - describes the features and limitations of general treatment cover, including which services are covered, waiting periods, benefit limits and example benefits for each type of service, and
  • Combined - describes the features and limitations of a combined hospital and general treatment cover, with details as above.
A Standard Information Statement only gives a summary of the key product features. However, it does allow you to see if your broad needs are covered and where products differ in both price and features. You will need to contact the health fund to get all the details about the product.
Please note that if the insurer includes "Other services (see insurer for detail)" it means that more services, other than the ones listed in the SIS, are restricted in some way and you need to contact the insurer to find out what those services are. 
You should not rely on the $ amounts for premiums or benefits on the Statement as they are there for comparison only. The actual premium may vary depending on your circumstances, for example, your age and your age when you first got health insurance. Benefits will vary depending on the details of your policy, the treatments you are having, the hospital you visit and who treats you.
Note that some words used in the Statement may not be exactly the same as those that your insurer uses, but they will be able to explain any differences. The Glossary explains terms used on this site and alternate terms used by health insurers.
As with all types of insurance, conditions will apply, so don't just rely on the Statement - once you have full details from the fund, make sure you read them carefully before signing up and paying your premium.