MORE RESEARCH
What happened when I emailed 30 Australian health funds
One in six never replied. One wrote back to say it no longer answers member enquiries by email. What 30 health funds revealed about serving members.
Member Communication
Steven Kryger
Health funds desperately want new members (or so I thought).
So I tested them.
I sent a straightforward question via email to 30 Australian health funds:
"How long are the waiting periods for pre-existing conditions?"
It's the kind of question they get asked multiple times every day.
The Response Times
The results were revealing:
✅ Only 1 fund (3%) responded within an hour
✅ 16 funds (53%) responded within 1 day
✅ 24 funds (80%) responded within 3 days
One major fund took two weeks to respond!
The Concerning Gaps
But it's what didn't happen that was most telling:
❌ 5 funds (17%) never replied at all
❌ 4 funds (13%) refused to communicate via email
❌ 6 funds (20%) required ID verification before answering
"Tell Us Your Membership Number"
One in five health funds assumed I was already a member and wouldn't proceed without my membership details:
"We'd like to help with your enquiry. Before we do, we need to satisfy certain privacy requirements so can you please confirm the following information: Your date of birth and Your membership number."
This is a potential member asking a basic question, not an existing member making a claim.
No Email?
I was surprised by how many funds refused to communicate via email. Four funds provided an auto-reply along these lines:
"Hi there, we've moved away from email and will no longer answer member enquiries."
In a competitive sector fighting for every member, this approach seems counterintuitive.
The Lesson
What happened here was a stark contrast to my experience when I emailed all 18 AFL clubs and asked "Do you have family memberships?"
Every unanswered email is a potential member walking away. Every delayed response is someone questioning whether you're worth joining.
If your organisation wants to acquire new members, here's your homework: audit your response times and the quality of your responses.
You might be surprised by what you discover.
Health funds desperately want new members (or so I thought).
So I tested them.
I sent a straightforward question via email to 30 Australian health funds:
"How long are the waiting periods for pre-existing conditions?"
It's the kind of question they get asked multiple times every day.
The Response Times
The results were revealing:
✅ Only 1 fund (3%) responded within an hour
✅ 16 funds (53%) responded within 1 day
✅ 24 funds (80%) responded within 3 days
One major fund took two weeks to respond!
The Concerning Gaps
But it's what didn't happen that was most telling:
❌ 5 funds (17%) never replied at all
❌ 4 funds (13%) refused to communicate via email
❌ 6 funds (20%) required ID verification before answering
"Tell Us Your Membership Number"
One in five health funds assumed I was already a member and wouldn't proceed without my membership details:
"We'd like to help with your enquiry. Before we do, we need to satisfy certain privacy requirements so can you please confirm the following information: Your date of birth and Your membership number."
This is a potential member asking a basic question, not an existing member making a claim.
No Email?
I was surprised by how many funds refused to communicate via email. Four funds provided an auto-reply along these lines:
"Hi there, we've moved away from email and will no longer answer member enquiries."
In a competitive sector fighting for every member, this approach seems counterintuitive.
The Lesson
What happened here was a stark contrast to my experience when I emailed all 18 AFL clubs and asked "Do you have family memberships?"
Every unanswered email is a potential member walking away. Every delayed response is someone questioning whether you're worth joining.
If your organisation wants to acquire new members, here's your homework: audit your response times and the quality of your responses.
You might be surprised by what you discover.
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The Lab Report
New research and actionable ideas, once a fortnight.
Read by membership staff at clubs in the AFL, NRL, NBL and Super Rugby.
FOR MEMBERSHIP TEAMS
The Lab Report
New research and actionable ideas,
once a fortnight.
Read by membership staff at clubs in the
AFL, NRL, NBL and Super Rugby.
FOR MEMBERSHIP TEAMS
The Lab Report
New research and actionable ideas, once a fortnight.
Read by membership staff at clubs in the AFL, NRL, NBL and Super Rugby.
Get more members. Keep more members.
Get more members. Keep more members.
Get more members. Keep more members.