Company history
Established in 1952, nib is one of Australia's fastest growing health funds. Read about the history of the company from 1950 to now.
Explore our history
1950 - 1979
1952
Newcastle Industrial Benefits (nib) Hospital Fund established by workers at BHP Steelworks, Mayfield.
1953
Newcastle Industrial Benefits Medical Fund established.
1975
South Coast Medical Fund amalgamated with nib and membership increased by 10,000 in the Illawarra region.
1976
Medibank Private came into existence and nib membership virtually tripled.
1977
Newcastle Industrial Benefits officially changed to nib health funds ltd.
1978
Hunter Medical Benefits Fund amalgamates with nib bringing another 8,000 members.
1980 - 1999
1981
The Store Medical and Hospital Fund amalgamates with nib.
1982
nib opens its first Sydney branch.
1984
Medicare was introduced and nib membership dropped but quickly recovered through a vigorous advertising campaign.
1987
The nib Day Hospital opens.
1993
nib begins interstate operations in Queensland in April. Victoria, South Australia and ACT follow in December.
1994
nib Private Hospital opens.
1997
nib's Call Centre officially opens.
2000 - 2019
2000
2003
nib acquires Victorian based health fund IOOF Health Services.
2004
Newcastle Private Hospital, owned and developed by nib health funds, opens its doors in April. The facility complements the existing nib Private Hospital.
2006
nib negotiates the sale of Newcastle Private Hospital to Healthscope, Australia's largest operators of private hospitals.
2007
2008
2013
nib launches Whitecoat a search and comparison website that will help Australian consumers make better purchasing decisions.
2014
nib and Apia enter strategic distribution alliance to sell private health insurance under the Apia brand.
We sign on with Super Rugby team the Auckland Blues as major sponsor for a three year period...
2015
nib acquires World Nomad's Group (WNG), Australia's third largest travel insurance provider.
We launch a new whitelabelling partnership with Qantas, called Qantas Assure, which rewards customers with Qantas Points...
2019
nib establishes a health services joint venture with Cigna Corporation. The specialist healthcare data science and services company, known as Honeysuckle Health, has the specific purpose of delivering better health outcomes for members and communities generally...
2020 - Present
- 2020
- 2021
- 2022
2020
nib offers a bushfire relief package which provides a three-month health insurance premium waiver to members living in bushfire-affected areas. nib foundation also donates $100,000 to Australian Red Cross to assist with community rebuilding efforts with an additional $15,000 raised by employees for the same charity. We launch our COVID-19 member and community support package to help members stay safe and healthy and maintain their cover throughout the pandemic.
nib Travel announces a new travel insurance product that offers cover for some COVID-19 related events for travellers.
Our inaugural Reconciliation Action Plan launches to learn and reflect on what it means to truly reconcile with our First Nations peoples.
nib foundation commits $1 million over four years to help build emotional and social wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth and young adults through the establishment of a new Aboriginal Health Partnerships program.
nib is placed 87th globally and seventh in Australia, earning a top spot on Refinitiv’s 2020 Diversity and Inclusion Index.
For the first time, nib releases its Modern Slavery Statement to help improve the visibility and understanding of our supply chain and ethical procurement practices and protect the human rights of our members, travellers and wider community.
