Is private health insurer HBF facing a dose of reality as cost crunch bites?

HBF is facing tough decisions as it seeks to retain customers and grab more market share amid rising cost-of-living pressures.

With work on a new five-year strategic plan underway, WA’s biggest private health insurer is rumoured to be looking at cutbacks to reduce higher-than-industry average costs and cap next year’s increase in premiums for its 1.1 million members.