The straight answer
Comparify is paid a commission by the health fund when you take out a policy through us. You pay exactly the same premium as you would going to that fund directly — commissions come out of the fund''s marketing budget, not your pocket. That''s the whole model. No membership fees, no charge for advice, no premium mark-up.
The fair follow-up question is: "doesn''t that mean you''re incentivised to switch me?" Yes, it structurally does — which is why we''re writing this page. Read on for how we handle it.
Why health funds pay us at all
Funds spend heavily to win new members — advertising, call centres, retail stores. A comparison service is simply a more efficient acquisition channel: the fund pays for an actual new member rather than an ad impression. Because premiums in Australia are community rated and regulated at the product level, the fund can''t charge you extra for coming through us — the same policy has the same price everywhere. That regulation is why "same price as direct" isn''t a slogan; it''s how the system works.
What actually happens when you talk to us
- We map what you have. Current tier, clinical categories, excess, extras limits, premium, rebate tier. Most people have never seen their own cover laid out this way.
- We ask about the next couple of years, not just today. For our over-60s customers that usually means joints, eyes, heart and hearing — because tier decisions run on 12-month waiting period clocks.
- We compare like-for-like across the funds we work with. Same-or-better categories, sensible excess, and the premium difference in plain dollars.
- We handle the switch end-to-end if you go ahead — the new fund, the clearance certificate, the old policy''s cancellation — with your served waiting periods intact.
- You stay with your advisor afterwards. Not a queue, not a ticket number. The person who set up your cover is the person you call when something changes.
What we won''t do
- We won''t pressure you. No countdown timers, no "this offer expires today". Health insurance decisions keep.
- We won''t recommend a switch that doesn''t stack up. "Your current policy is right — stay put" is a normal outcome of our calls. A switched customer who feels stung doesn''t come back, doesn''t refer their friends, and undoes the only durable asset a small advisory business has: trust.
- We won''t pretend to cover the whole market. No comparison service does. We compare across a wide panel of registered funds; if your best answer is a fund we don''t work with, an honest advisor tells you so.
- We won''t hide the trade-offs. Downgrades have waiting-period consequences; cheaper policies have higher excesses or fewer categories. You''ll hear the cons before you sign anything.
How to judge us (or any comparison service)
Don''t take our word for any of this. The tests worth applying: Does the advisor ask about your health horizon before quoting? Do they show you the category-level comparison, not just the price? Do they explain what you''d lose in a switch, unprompted? Do they ever tell people to stay put? And are real customers happy — we hold a 4.8★ average across 250+ reviews, which we''d encourage you to read rather than trust a number on our own website.
The Comparify view
Commission-funded advice has an obvious tension in it, and pretending otherwise insults your intelligence. Our answer is to make the incentives visible and let the work speak: advisors who do this every day, comparisons you can see at category level, and no pressure at any point. If that sounds fair, book a time that suits you — or start with our free guides, like the over-60s cover guide, and come to us when you''re ready.
FAQ
Is Comparify really free?
For you, yes — always. We''re paid a commission by the fund you join, and you pay the same premium as going direct. There is no fee for advice, comparisons or ongoing help.
Do I pay more for my policy by using a comparison service?
No. Australian health insurance premiums are set per product and community rated — the same policy costs the same whether you buy through us, another comparator, or the fund directly.
Does Comparify compare every health fund?
No service does. We compare across a wide panel of registered Australian funds and we''re upfront about that — if your best option sits outside our panel, we''ll say so.
Will you keep contacting me if I get a quote?
You''ll have one advisor, and you set the pace. No hand-offs to a sales queue, and no pressure to proceed — many of our customers take weeks to decide, and some rightly decide to stay where they are.