Health Insurance
This industry's radar is spiked: strong on Retention & Loyalty (+7.2 vs average) but pulled in on Data & Tracking (-3.4). A spiky profile means the capability is there but it's concentrated. The risk is that strength in one area masks weakness in another until revenue starts telling you otherwise.
Dimension Breakdown
Mid-table. Not broken, not exceptional. The businesses that invest in their marketing here will see disproportionate returns because their competitors aren't.
HCF at 74 vs HIF at 53.4. That gap is wider than the difference between some entire industries. The leaders in this vertical are playing a different game.
+7.2 versus the national average of 62.4. This is where the industry has invested. The question is whether it's investing enough everywhere else to capitalise on that strength.
Marketing a product Australians love to hate
Health insurance is one of the most disliked product categories in Australia. Annual premium increases, complex policies, exclusion periods and claims disputes generate consistent negative sentiment. Yet 44% of Australians hold private health cover. The composite of 65.5 reflects an industry that markets effectively despite this headwind.
Retention at 69.6 is the anchor, and for good reason. Losing a member after five years of premium payments means losing the return on a $300-$800 acquisition cost plus the margin that was just beginning to compound. The top-performing funds (Medibank, HCF, HBF) invest heavily in member experience: digital claims, optical and dental networks, wellness programs and proactive communication.
Acquisition at 64.0 with 25% weight is dominated by three channels: comparison sites (iSelect, Compare the Market, Canstar), direct digital campaigns targeting the under-30 LHC cohort and corporate group schemes. The funds that win on acquisition have streamlined the comparison and sign-up process to reduce the friction of switching.
The brand challenge at 61.8 is structural. Health insurance is a grudge purchase. Nobody is excited to pay their premium. The brands that have shifted the narrative from "insurance you have to have" to "a health partner that helps you live better" score above the mean. HCF's "uncommon care" positioning and Medibank's wellness focus are examples of this reframing.
Digital maturity at 66.5 reflects significant investment in online self-service. Digital claims, policy management, provider search and hospital gap estimators have become table stakes. The funds still relying on phone-based service for routine transactions are losing younger members to digitally-native competitors like those offering fully app-based health cover.
A 20.6-point spread between HCF and HIF. That's not one industry. That's two separate leagues operating under the same name. The leaders are playing chess. The challengers are still learning the rules.
Where you sit in Financial Services
Explore deeper in Hub
Cross-cut Health Insurance data by taxonomy, compare dimensions across sectors and see where this industry sits nationally.
Create your HubFrequently Asked
Keep Exploring
Related industries, patterns and businesses in the Atlas.
Closest composite scores to Health Insurance (66).
Where does your business sit in this picture?
Health Insurance scores 65.5 on average. That's one number across 6 dimensions. Your number will be different, and the breakdown will tell you exactly where to invest and where to stop wasting money.
Get your Marketing ScoreKeep Exploring
Related industries, patterns and businesses in the Atlas.
Closest composite scores to Health Insurance (66).