The origins of Westfund lie in the Lithgow Valley of NSW and the development of coal mining, which provided the basis for industrialisation of the town. Coalminers faced intermittent employment and workplace hazards. Coal dust also made coalmining unhealthy with diseases such as pneumoconiosis and nystagmus.
The coal miners through their union played a key role in creation of Lithgow as a union and co-operative town with the Lithgow Co-operative Society. The miners brought with them traditions of self-help with from the UK through either the union or friendly societies.
As early as 1881, the Vale of Clwydd miners Lodge corresponded with the Bathurst Hospital regarding a bed being set aside for its members. Lithgow miners participated in contributory schemes for ambulance, medical and hospital treatment schemes.
The formation of Westfund was the result of the National Health Act of 1953, which became operational on 1 July 1953. While the Miners Union controlled the Fund, it was an open fund to all individuals. The closure of industries, including long established collieries, and a falling population encouraged the Fund to seek members beyond coalmining and the Lithgow Valley.
There was initially a strong interest in the expanding Western suburbs of Sydney with a Medibank agency being established at Penrith in 1975 and nearby regional centres such as Bathurst and Orange. A major push occurred into the Queensland central coalfields in the late 1990s with the first branches opened at Emerald and Dysart in 1998. The expansion into Queensland contributed to the phenomenal growth of the Fund between 1998 and 2001. The Fund continued to offer new services to members with the establishment of the Dental Centres and Eyewear Centres.
The Fund also provided support for the regional communities in which it operates. It takes an active role in improving the health of regional Australians through a variety of schemes such as school programmes relating to dental and visual health and the provision of automated external defibrillators for heart attacks. It supports a wide variety of community programs such as its long running Christmas Appeal.
The Fund aids the economic sustainability of communities through investments in its own infrastructure and employment. The Fund’s commitment to mutualism can be seen through its membership discount in 2012, which was the first of its kind in the Australian health insurance industry. For the year ending June 2024, Westfund covered for over 138,000 individuals and provided $147,960 in community grants to tackle issues such as homelessness and domestic violence.
For further details see Knowles, H., Patmore, G., Westcott, M. (2016). Health Insurance in Regional Australia: The History of Westfund. Sydney: Federation Press and Westfund 2024 annual report.