What you need to know:

• Australia's largest not-for-profit health insurer HCF is pitching its creative account.
• The brand has been without a major brand agency for some time, after quietly parting ways with incumbent BWM Dentsu.
• HCF joins a growing list of health insurers who have appointed new creative agencies in the last six months, including Bupa, HBF and AHM.

Australia's largest not-for-profit health insurer HCF has joined the slew of private health businesses seeking a new creative direction. 

The brand joins a growing list of private health insurers who have put their creative duties out to pitch, including AHM (which appointed The Monkeys in February), Bupa (switching AJF for Thinkerbell in December 2020) and HBF (which named Leo Burnett Melbourne for both east and west coast accounts, also at the end of last year).

A spokesperson from HCF declined to comment. The brand had previously worked with BWM Dentsu, which won the account in early 2018, however, Mi3 understands the relationship did not last long.

HBF has subsequently worked with smaller creative and marketing services business Integer, while media is handled by Publicis Media agency, Spark Foundry.

The private health insurance market has been in a "death spiral" as of late, registering record complaints through the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman in recent years and with increasing concern about the sustainability – and health – of the industry.

The sector is facing difficulties around an ageing population and a rise in the use and cost of health services, which have been driving up premiums, and making products less desirable to younger and healthy Australians.

Against that backdrop, HCF was an outlier during the last financial year, growing its membership base by 6 per cent, way above the sector standard.

As part of a digital overhaul, the provider created an online doctor service called GP2U, alongside PSYCH2U, which allowed members to access psychiatry and psychology services through online video sessions.