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Health insurance for kidney dialysis

If you need kidney dialysis, private health insurance and Medicare can both help with the costs. Compare health funds offering the cover you need from just $40 per week.

What you need to know

  • Gold level policies cover dialysis for chronic kidney failure, along with some silver policies.
  • Policies start at about $160 and all have a 12-month waiting period, so consider buying now if you have chronic kidney failure.
  • Medicare can cover kidney dialysis, but the current benefit for home dialysis is just $130.85 (for up to 12 claims per year).

How much is private health insurance with cover for kidney dialysis?

Below you can find sample quotes from Finder partner funds. All policies include treatments for chronic kidney failure. All prices are based on a single individual with less than $90,000 income and living in Sydney.

1 - 17 of 17
Name Product Treatments Price Apply
Silver Plus Hospital $750
Silver Plus$750 excess
  • Lung and chest
  • Back neck and spine
  • Cataracts
  • Joint replacements
  • Blood
  • Dental surgery
  • Palliative care
  • Pregnancy and birth
  • +27 other treatments covered
$167.59
per month
  • Lung and chest
  • Back neck and spine
  • Cataracts
  • Joint replacements
  • Blood
  • Dental surgery
  • Palliative care
  • Pregnancy and birth
  • +27 other treatments covered
$172.26
per month
  • Lung and chest
  • Back neck and spine
  • Cataracts
  • Joint replacements
  • Blood
  • Dental surgery
  • Palliative care
  • Pregnancy and birth
  • +27 other treatments covered
$172.27
per month
Silver Plus Hospital $500
Silver Plus$500 excess
  • Lung and chest
  • Back neck and spine
  • Cataracts
  • Joint replacements
  • Blood
  • Dental surgery
  • Palliative care
  • Pregnancy and birth
  • +27 other treatments covered
$177.01
per month
Silver Plus Advanced Hospital 750
Silver Plus$750 excess
  • Lung and chest
  • Back neck and spine
  • Cataracts
  • Joint replacements
  • Blood
  • Dental surgery
  • Palliative care
  • Pregnancy and birth
  • +27 other treatments covered
$178.42
per month
  • Lung and chest
  • Back neck and spine
  • Cataracts
  • Joint replacements
  • Blood
  • Dental surgery
  • Palliative care
  • Pregnancy and birth
  • +27 other treatments covered
$179.09
per month
  • Lung and chest
  • Back neck and spine
  • Cataracts
  • Joint replacements
  • Blood
  • Dental surgery
  • Palliative care
  • Pregnancy and birth
  • +27 other treatments covered
$184.33
per month
Silver Plus Advanced Hospital 500
Silver Plus$500 excess
  • Lung and chest
  • Back neck and spine
  • Cataracts
  • Joint replacements
  • Blood
  • Dental surgery
  • Palliative care
  • Pregnancy and birth
  • +27 other treatments covered
$187.79
per month
  • Lung and chest
  • Back neck and spine
  • Cataracts
  • Joint replacements
  • Blood
  • Dental surgery
  • Palliative care
  • Pregnancy and birth
  • +27 other treatments covered
$216.56
per month
Silver Plus Family Hospital 750
Silver Plus$750 excess
  • Lung and chest
  • Back neck and spine
  • Cataracts
  • Joint replacements
  • Blood
  • Dental surgery
  • Palliative care
  • Pregnancy and birth
  • +28 other treatments covered
$223.91
per month
Frank Gold Hospital
Gold$750 excess
  • Cataracts
  • Joint replacements
  • Palliative care
  • Pregnancy and birth
  • Sleep studies
  • Weight loss surgery
  • Rehabilitation
  • Insulin pumps
  • +30 other treatments covered
$226.63
per month
  • Cataracts
  • Joint replacements
  • Palliative care
  • Pregnancy and birth
  • Sleep studies
  • Weight loss surgery
  • Rehabilitation
  • Insulin pumps
  • +30 other treatments covered
$228.93
per month
  • Cataracts
  • Joint replacements
  • Palliative care
  • Pregnancy and birth
  • Sleep studies
  • Weight loss surgery
  • Rehabilitation
  • Insulin pumps
  • +30 other treatments covered
$237.33
per month
  • Cataracts
  • Joint replacements
  • Palliative care
  • Pregnancy and birth
  • Sleep studies
  • Weight loss surgery
  • Rehabilitation
  • Insulin pumps
  • +30 other treatments covered
$245.25
per month
advanced hospital gold
Gold$750 excess
  • Cataracts
  • Joint replacements
  • Palliative care
  • Pregnancy and birth
  • Sleep studies
  • Weight loss surgery
  • Rehabilitation
  • Insulin pumps
  • +30 other treatments covered
$249.32
per month
  • Cataracts
  • Joint replacements
  • Palliative care
  • Pregnancy and birth
  • Sleep studies
  • Weight loss surgery
  • Rehabilitation
  • Insulin pumps
  • +30 other treatments covered
$253.17
per month
advanced hospital gold
Gold$500 excess
  • Cataracts
  • Joint replacements
  • Palliative care
  • Pregnancy and birth
  • Sleep studies
  • Weight loss surgery
  • Rehabilitation
  • Insulin pumps
  • +30 other treatments covered
$273.07
per month
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What is a kidney dialysis?

A kidney dialysis is a type of treatment that's used when a patient develops end-stage kidney failure. Dialysis helps to return the body to balance by preventing waste, salt and water from building up in the body. It also helps to maintain a safe level of chemicals in your blood and helps to control blood pressure.

How can I cover the cost of chronic kidney disease and dialysis treatment?

There are a number of ways for you to potentially receive benefits for chronic kidney disease and dialysis, both through the public and private health systems.

  • Medicare. The government-funded universal health system includes dialysis treatment in the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS).
  • Medicare Chronic Disease Management Plan (CDM). If you are suffering from kidney disease for six months or more and require ongoing, structured care, your GP may suggest a CDM plan, and you may be eligible for rebates to cover the ongoing cost of your treatment.

Below you can see the various types of dialysis treatment and surgical procedures covered by Medicare.:

  • Dialysis for chronic renal failure
    • Haemodialysis
    • Haemofiltration
    • Haemoperfusion
    • Peritoneal dialysis
  • Surgical procedures
    • Explorative kidney surgery
  • Private health insurance. The amount of cover you receive for kidney related treatments will depend on how comprehensive your hospital insurance is:
    • Top hospital policies must pay a benefit for all procedures covered under the MBS, which includes dialysis.
    • Medium hospital policies may include dialysis treatment and renal surgery but will only pay a restricted benefit.
    • Basic hospital cover generally excluded dialysis treatment and renal surgery.

You can use the table below as a quick reference for seeing which levels of health insurance fully and partially cover, or exclude, kidney related treatments:

Kidney treatmentTop hospitalMedium hospitalBasic hospital
Dialysis for chronic renal failure:
  • Haemodialysis
  • Haemofiltration
  • Haemoperfusion
  • Peritoneal dialysis
  • This policy type should always include cover
  • May be partially covered with a restricted benefit
  • Typically excluded
Surgical procedures:
  • Explorative kidney surgery
  • This policy type should always include cover
  • May be partially covered with a restricted benefit
  • Typically excluded

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