
Get exclusive healthy living offers and guides
Straight to your inbox
We’re reader-supported and may be paid when you visit links to partner sites. We don’t compare all products in the market, but we’re working on it!
Thanks to new health insurance reforms in Australia, it's now easier than ever to find cover that suits you. The new system aims to provide an easy to understand tier structure for policies giving you more options for your level of cover and the prices you pay.
Below you'll find the finalists from the 2020 finder awards. Each policy was chosen based on criteria such as the excess/co-payment amount, number of associated (agreement) hospitals, treatments covered in public or private hospitals, waiting periods and annual benefit limits.
Finalist
Finalist
Under the new system of health insurance in Australia, hospital cover is now split into four distinct categories, Basic, Bronze, Silver and Gold. Bronze insurance is the second level of cover, after basic and before silver, and covers you for 21 out of 38 clinical categories which include some of the most common hospital treatments in Australia such as joint replacement, diabetes management and more.
Bronze tier health insurance covers some of the most common hospital treatments including chemotherapy, gynaecology and pain management, giving you more treatment options than a basic policy while leaving out some of the more uncommon or premium treatments, meaning you won't pay for treatments you might not need.
Below are some examples of the cost of Bronze insurance from Finder Partners.
At a minimum, a Bronze tier hospital policy includes:
From 1 April 2019 the health insurance reforms mean that health funds can offer a "Plus [+]" option for policies outside the gold tier, in this case a Bronze Plus [+] policy.
What this means is a policy with Plus [+] provides cover above the minimum requirements of the bronze tier. For example, ahm offer a bronze plus policy that in addition to the minimum benefits required for a bronze tier policy, ahm core bronze plus (Bronze Plus) offers benefits for:
If you're looking for a hospital policy that offers a baseline of cover without breaking the bank, a Bronze policy may be for you. Those who may find benefits from a Bronze policy include:
As part of the reforms to the private health insurance system, women are now able to claim for a range of services on Bronze tier cover and above including for:
However, it's worth pointing out that if you want cover for pregnancy and treatments such as IVF, you're going to need to get a Gold policy.
If you're fit, healthy and don't plan on having children anytime soon, a Bronze policy should provide you with adequate cover. And to sweeten the deal, if you're aged between 18 and 25, insurers can now start offering you 10% off your hospital premiums until you turn 40.
The new tiered system came into effect on 1 April 2019 and many insurers have already begun rolling out Gold, Silver, Bronze and Basic policies. However, health funds have until 1 April 2020 to make sure all their products are compliant with these tiers.
Use this free tool to see side by side quotes from health funds in Australia, don't forget to select Bronze tiers on your results page.
Picture: Unsplash
Extras cover is the number one drawcard for Australians who take out private health cover, new research from Finder, Australia’s most visited comparison site, reveals.
Millions of Australians could be missing out saving money on their health insurance policy, according to Finder, Australia’s most visited comparison site.
Discover exactly what you need to know about leaving Australia.
How home insurance can cover you for food spoilage and save you hundreds on wasted food.Â
Want hearing aid insurance? Home insurance is the answer.
All home insurance policies have a common list of covered events. These insured events include things like fire, storm and theft.
Millions of Australians are shopping around for cheaper health insurance in the new year, according to new research by Finder, Australia’s most visited comparison site.
Curious to know what happens if you commit insurance fraud on a home insurance claim? Here's what we know, and why you probably shouldn't do it.
Knowing the difference between fixtures and fittings can help you decide which home insurance policy is right for you.
Find out about how to insure the luxury Mercedes-AMG G 63 4x4 SUV.
Get cover to suit your budget and lifestyle.
Great offers, promos, and deals for today.
Hospital, extras, or neither? Find out in 1 minute.
Compare visa-compliant OVHC today.