Bupa vs HCF:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Bupa had more branded searches than HCF among health insurance funds in Australia. Bupa had about 40,500 branded searches, while HCF had 22,200. Bupa made up 11.2% of all health insurance fund searches we track, and HCF accounted for 6.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about health insurance funds, HCF appeared in four of the five answers and Bupa in two. HCF was mentioned before Bupa in every answer.
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Top health insurance funds in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, HCF was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Bupa was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. HCF was listed before Bupa in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Medibank4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
HCF4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
HBF2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Bupa2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Frank2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
nib1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
ahm1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
GMHBA1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Australian Unity0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about health insurance funds
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which health insurance fund should I join in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best private health insurance funds in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best private health insurance in Australia for a young couple?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“private health insurance”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“health insurance comparison”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 22, 2026.
Is Bupa or HCF more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Bupa and HCF by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine health insurance funds we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.
Share of searches by month for Bupa, HCF. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Medibank | nib | HBF | Bupa | ahm | HCF | GMHBA | Australian Unity | Frank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 32.9% | 18.3% | 17.1% | 9.9% | 5.4% | 8.1% | 4.4% | 2% | 2% |
| Nov 2025 | 34.8% | 19.4% | 15.3% | 8.5% | 4.7% | 8.5% | 4.7% | 2.1% | 2.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 32.8% | 18.4% | 17.2% | 9.9% | 4.4% | 8.1% | 5.4% | 2% | 2% |
| Jan 2026 | 34.7% | 16.5% | 15.3% | 10.4% | 5.7% | 8.5% | 4.7% | 2.1% | 2.1% |
| Feb 2026 | 31.2% | 18.2% | 16.8% | 9.4% | 6.3% | 9.4% | 5.1% | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Mar 2026 | 27.6% | 16.9% | 16.1% | 12.4% | 6.8% | 10.1% | 5.5% | 2% | 2.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 30.6% | 17.1% | 17.1% | 11.2% | 6.1% | 9.2% | 5% | 1.8% | 1.8% |
| May 2026 | 32.7% | 19% | 17.6% | 9.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 1.6% | 2% |
| Jun 2026 | 32.7% | 19.1% | 17.1% | 9.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 1.6% | 2.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 32% | 18.6% | 19.4% | 9.6% | 6.4% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 1.6% | 1.9% |
| Aug 2026 | 32.8% | 19.1% | 17.1% | 9.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 2% | 2% |
| Sep 2026 | 30.5% | 17.8% | 17.1% | 11.2% | 7.5% | 6.2% | 5% | 2.7% | 1.8% |
How has the Bupa and HCF comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Bupa was ahead of HCF in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bupa’s share of searches among health insurance funds in Australia moved from 9.9% to 11.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 40.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, HCF’s share of searches among health insurance funds in Australia moved from 8.1% to 6.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 33.1K to 22.2K.
How did search popularity change for Australia health insurance funds in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, HCF overtook GMHBA to rank 6th among health insurance funds in Australia, with 6.2% of the searches.
In September 2026, Bupa gained share of searches among health insurance funds in Australia, from 9.8% to 11.2%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Bupa’s and HCF’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
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