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1952: Newcastle Industrial Benefits (nib) Hospital Fund established by workers at BHP Steelworks, Mayfield.
1953: Newcastle Industrial Benefits Medical Fund established.
1962: Head Office building occupied at 366 Hunter Street, Newcastle. nib’s first advertising program went to air.
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. nib moved to working on computers.
1978: Hunter Medical Benefits Fund amalgamated with nib bringing another 8,000 members.
1981: The Store Medical and Hospital Fund amalgamated with nib.
1982: nib opened its first Sydney branch.
1984: Medicare was introduced and nib membership dropped but quickly recovered through a vigorous advertising campaign.
1993: nib began interstate operations in Queensland in April. Victoria, South Australia and ACT followed in December.
1997: nib Call Centre was officially opened. nib gained an online presence with its website.
1999: nib Call Centre was awarded ‘Call Centre of the Year’, for outstanding teleperformance and customer service.
2000: The introduction of Lifetime Health Cover saw membership increase considerably. nib introduced MediGap, an incentive that eliminates medical gap payments for nib members undergoing treatment in a private hospital when these services are conducted by participating medical practitioners.
2001: nib Call Centre was once again awarded ‘Call Centre of the Year’, for outstanding teleperformance and customer service.
2003: nib health funds celebrated its 50 year anniversary. nib acquired Victorian based health fund IOOF Health Services.
2006: nib launches a new product portfolio. The new range of products further enhances nib’s strategic position as a provider of affordable health cover. nib negotiated the sale of Newcastle Private Hospital to Healthscope, Australia’s largest operators of private hospitals.nib invests in its first major interstate sponsorship, becoming the naming rights sponsor of the nib Lorne Pier to Pub ocean swim on the Victorian holiday coast.
2007: nib launches a major marketing and brand awareness campaign targeting national policyholder growth in key target demographics. nib Board votes in favour of demutualising and pursuing listing the health fund on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). nib becomes Australia’s first private health insurer to demutualise and list on the ASX.
