What is a Transfer Certificate or Clearance Certificate?

A Transfer Certificate, also called a Clearance Certificate, is a document created by your health insurer that gives details of your health cover and membership. When you change to a new health insurer, a Transfer Certificate tells your new insurer your health insurance history so that it can work out your waiting periods, Lifetime Health Cover Loading and Age-based Discount correctly, which affect your premium and your ability to claim. 

When you cancel your existing policy and switch to a new insurer, your existing health insurer is legally required to provide a Transfer Certificate to your new health insurer within 14 days. The Transfer Certificate might be sent to you so that you can supply it to your new insurer, or your new insurer may contact your current insurer and request the Transfer Certificate on your behalf (with your consent). If it is sent directly between insurers, you will be sent a copy.  

The Commonwealth Ombudsman recommends requesting the Transfer Certificate when you contact your insurer to cancel your policy.  

It is important to check that the details on the Transfer Certificate are correct, to make sure you are charged the correct premium and do not have to re-serve waiting periods. 

What is on a Transfer Certificate? 

Details on your Transfer Certificate include: 

• What type of cover you previously had (Hospital, Extras or Ambulance Only) 

• Who is covered 

• When your cover began and when it ends  

• What Lifetime Health Cover Loading you have been paying, and for how long (known as your ‘certified age of entry’ or CAE) 

• What claims you have made and limits you have used 

• Whether you’ve been receiving the Age-based Discount (note: not all insurers offer this Discount) 

• What waiting periods you have served. If it has been more than 2 months between cancelling your policy and beginning a new policy, you may have to re-serve waiting periods, even if your new policy is at the same level as your previous policy.