The best health insurance covers what you need - like hospital stays, dental, or pregnancy care - without making you pay for extras you won't use. For example, young singles might prioritise affordable premiums, while families could focus on comprehensive extras and maternity cover. The key is finding a policy that fits your health needs and budget.
At Finder, we've analysed over 30 health funds and hundreds of policies, comparing costs, coverage, and customer satisfaction to identify the best value options. Our picks are based on this research, but always check the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) to ensure the policy works for you.
Use our quiz to compare thousands of options
Below, you can see some of our top picks. If you prefer to do a bit of your own research, then you can compare more options from 40+ providers by taking our quiz.
Our top picks for the best health insurance - April 2025
The top picks were updated by our team of insurance experts after 80+ hours of research across 45+ health funds.
One of the few basic hospital policies that offer good value, this covers 15 treatments (most don't cover any!). It helps you dodge the Medicare levy surcharge (MLS) if you earn over $97k and was crowned Finder's 2024 Best Health Fund of the Year. Bonus: it's not-for-profit!
Pros
92.5% of hospital services have no gap (out-of-pocket expenses) – the best of all open health funds.
It's $3 a week more than the cheapest policy on the market while covering 19 policies - the cheapest policy covers nothing at all!
If your only goal is to avoid the MLS, the cheapest basic policy is around $150 a year cheaper.
For just $3 a week more, you could get HBF Bronze Hospital Plus, which covers 26 treatments.
We picked it because it won the 2024 Finder Awards for best basic hospital policy for the second year running, offering better value and more private hospital cover than competitors. Unlike many basic policies, it actually covers treatments, with 92.5% of hospital services having no out-of-pocket costs—higher than all other open membership insurers. Plus, it helps you avoid the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS) if you're eligible.
Average prices are updated monthly when we update Finder's database of health insurance policies. Prices are based on a single individual with less than $97,000 income, $750 excess and living in Sydney.
Limits and waiting periods will apply, be sure to read the PDS.
Hospital Treatments
Blood Bone joint and muscle Cancer Dental surgery Digestive system Ear nose and throat Gastrointestinal endoscopy Gynaecology Hernia and appendix Joint reconstructions Kidney and bladder Male reproductive system Miscarriage and termination of pregnancy Skin Tonsils adenoids and grommets
Extras Treatments
Extra treatments not covered
Our top pick for families (hospital and extras)
Bronze Plus Simple Hospital $750 Excess + Top Extras
This combined hospital and extras policy could be good for complete families. Bupa's Top Extras policy covers orthodontics, dental check-ups are free with certain dentists and there's no excess for kids. You're also exempt from paying the Medicare levy surcharge if you earn over $194,000 a year as a family.
Pros
Kids can stay on the policy until 31. No insurer beats this.
No excess or co-payment fees if your kids end up in hospital.
$0 dental check-ups for the family at Member First Platinum dentists.
Orthodontics included with Top Extras.
Cons
Every family is different. Make sure this option covers what yours needs.
Insurers including Latrobe and Westfund can also cover kids up to age 31.
Bupa's Bronze Plus Simple is cheap but it wasn't a 2024 Finder Award winner.
Every family has slightly different health needs, so you should always do your own research and make sure the policy covers the treatments you and your family want.
We selected Bupa because it has several benefits for families. It has one of the largest hospital networks in Australia, no excess for kids, $0 dental check-ups for the family at Member First Platinum dentists, orthodontics are included with its Top Extras and your children can stay on the policy until 31.
Plus, 91.1% of Bupa's medical services have no gap. This is the 7th best out of all open membership health funds. There are 23 in total. Its Bronze Plus Simple Hospital option is also one of the cheapest bronze policies on the market. Out of 118 policies, it was the 4th cheapest, $1 more than ahm.
Average prices are updated monthly when we update Finder's database of health insurance policies. Prices are based on a single individual with less than $97,000 income, $750 excess and living in Sydney.
Limits and waiting periods will apply, be sure to read the PDS.
Hospital Treatments
Blood Bone joint and muscle Brain and nervous system Breast surgery Cancer Dental surgery Diabetes management Digestive system Ear nose and throat Eye excluding cataracts Gastrointestinal endoscopy Gynaecology Hernia and appendix Joint reconstructions Kidney and bladder Lung and chest Male reproductive system Miscarriage and termination of pregnancy Pain management Podiatric surgery Skin Sleep studies Tonsils adenoids and grommets
Extras Treatments
General Dental Major Dental Endodontic Orthodontic Optical Non-PBS Pharmaceuticals Physiotherapy Chiropractic Podiatry Psychology Acupuncture Remedial Massage Hearing aids Glucose monitor
While all gold-tier policies include cover for child birth in a private hospital, this one packs heaps of perks you won't find elsewhere, including cover for IVF treatments, 24/7 access to a telephone nurse service, and continuity of care, which means you can keep seeing your chosen obstetrician throughout your pregnancy. As well as the telephone nurse Medibank also offer the Health Concierge service, to provide personalised helath support to prepare for or recover from a hospital stay. Medibank has also partnered with researchers at Monash Uni to improve research around prenatal healthcare, as part of the OptimalMe program.
All of this is great, but what about the price? Well, Medibank's gold hospital policy is the cheapest among Australia's big 6 private health funds. Also, its Growing Family extras product covered prenatal and antenatal care while being great value - it took a highly commended in the 2024 Finder awards for the comprehensive extras category.
Pros
Great member benefits for those planning a family, including 24/7 tele-nurse and health concierge.
Growing Family extras includes pregnancy related benefits not seen from competitors, like classes, pregnancy garments and Australian Breastfeeding Association membership.
The cheapest gold policy among the big 6 health funds.
Cons
You may still have out-of-pocket expenses for child-birth - Medibank's data shows 42% of members have an out-of-pocket cost for vaginal delivery, or 66% for a C-section, in a partner hospital.
There are some cheaper gold hospital policies from smaller funds out there, though they don't have the range of extra benefits Medibank offers.
Childbirth in the public system is always an option for you, and is much cheaper.
Gold hospital policies are all much the same in how the cover pregnancy, so we based out selection off the additional services health funds offered. We believe Medibank offers the most comprehensive set of benefits that are useful to growing families, including a 24/7 Medibank Nurse service and a pregnancy health concierge. Medibank's involvement in the OptimalMe program for mums-to-be also speaks to its committment to improving pregnancy related research.
Additionally, we think Medibank's Growing Family extras product offers a benefit on the most comprehensive selection of pregnancy services on the market.
Average prices are updated monthly when we update Finder's database of health insurance policies. Prices are based on a single individual with less than $97,000 income, $750 excess and living in Sydney.
Limits and waiting periods will apply, be sure to read the PDS.
Hospital Treatments
Assisted reproductive services Back neck and spine Blood Bone joint and muscle Brain and nervous system Breast surgery Cataracts Cancer Dental surgery Diabetes management Dialysis for chronic kidney failure Digestive system Ear nose and throat Eye excluding cataracts Gastrointestinal endoscopy Gynaecology Heart and vascular system Hernia and appendix Hospital psychiatric services Implantation of hearing devices Insulin pumps Joint reconstructions Joint replacements Kidney and bladder Lung and chest Male reproductive system Miscarriage and termination of pregnancy Pain management Pain management with device Palliative care Medically necessary plastic surgery Podiatric surgery Pregnancy and birth Rehabilitation Skin Sleep studies Tonsils adenoids and grommets Weight loss surgery
Extras Treatments
General Dental Major Dental Endodontic Orthodontic Optical Non-PBS Pharmaceuticals Physiotherapy Chiropractic Podiatry Psychology Acupuncture Remedial Massage Glucose monitor
This won the Finder Award for best value bronze policy for the second year in a row. It scored higher than all 100+ bronze plans we assessed. It covers 25 hospital treatments – 7 more than a standard bronze policy, including lunch and chest, dental and podiatric surgery. The not-for-profit also has a really strong record of giving its money back towards members - it returns the 2nd highest percentage of premiums to its members as benefits, second only to hbf.
Pros
A great value bronze plus policy, covering 25 different treatments - it won the Finder awards in 2024 best for bronze hosptial.
The second highest rate of premiums returned to members as benefits.
HCF received a higher proportion of complaints compared to other funds.
86.7% of hospital services are available with no out-of-pocket costs to pay. Not bad, but not the best among the big funds - Bupa, HBF, NIB and more all do better.
Cheaper bronze options are available but they give you less for your money.
Straight up, HCF won the bronze hospital category at the 2024 Finder Awards. That means it covered more treatments for less money than the other bronze products on the market. It's a simple approach, but it's a reliable way to find a great value policy.
Average prices are updated monthly when we update Finder's database of health insurance policies. Prices are based on a single individual with less than $97,000 income, $750 excess and living in Sydney.
Limits and waiting periods will apply, be sure to read the PDS.
Hospital Treatments
Blood Bone joint and muscle Brain and nervous system Breast surgery Cancer Dental surgery Diabetes management Digestive system Ear nose and throat Eye excluding cataracts Gastrointestinal endoscopy Gynaecology Hernia and appendix Joint reconstructions Kidney and bladder Lung and chest Male reproductive system Miscarriage and termination of pregnancy Pain management Palliative care Medically necessary plastic surgery Podiatric surgery Skin Sleep studies Tonsils adenoids and grommets
HBF won a lot at this year's Finder Awards, including Health Fund of the Year and Best Value Silver Policy. HBF Silver covers 30 treatments (4 more than a standard silver policy) and is cheaper than its competitors. hbf also has the best record across several key indicators tracked by the Commonwealth Ombudsman. It offers the most hospital treatments with no gap to pay, and returns the highest percentage of premiums to members as benefits of any fund.
Pros
Finder 2024 health insurer of the year.
Not-for-profit. Profits go back to members, not shareholders.
The highest percentage of premiums collected paid back as benefits - 87.9% of all premium income is given back to members.That's the best of any fund.
Cons
No pregnancy cover (this is actually good if you aren't planning on having kids).
There are cheaper silver policies but you don't get as much.
It won the 2024 Finder Awards for best silver hospital policy. These awards compared all eligible basic hospital policies on the market. It won based on value for money, covering more treatments in a private hospital for a lower premium than any other fund.
Average prices are updated monthly when we update Finder's database of health insurance policies. Prices are based on a single individual with less than $97,000 income, $750 excess and living in Sydney.
Limits and waiting periods will apply, be sure to read the PDS.
Hospital Treatments
Back neck and spine Blood Bone joint and muscle Brain and nervous system Breast surgery Cancer Dental surgery Diabetes management Digestive system Ear nose and throat Eye excluding cataracts Gastrointestinal endoscopy Gynaecology Heart and vascular system Hernia and appendix Implantation of hearing devices Insulin pumps Joint reconstructions Kidney and bladder Lung and chest Male reproductive system Miscarriage and termination of pregnancy Pain management Pain management with device Palliative care Medically necessary plastic surgery Podiatric surgery Skin Sleep studies Tonsils adenoids and grommets
Qantas' silver hospital policy was highly commended in the 2024 Finder health insurance awards because it offered some of the best value coverage among other silver hospital policies. Qantas is also offering new customers up to 130,000 Qantas Points over 6 months when you join an eligible combined policy by 28 May – the more comprehensive your cover, the more points you'll earn. T&Cs apply. You also get 1 Qantas point per $1 spent on premiums.
Pros
Earn up to 130,000 Qantas Points when you join. Offer ends 28 May. Points will be awarded based on your level of cover over 6 months. Eligibility criteria and T&Cs apply.
Qantas' silver hospital policy was highly commended in the 2024 Finder health insurance awards. A silver policy with extras is great for those needing decent hospital cover and out of hospital treatments.
Despite offering signup and ongoing reward points, Qantas' policies are on the more affordable end.
Cons
There are other providers with cheaper premiums.
It is a for-profit health fund which may not align with all customers' values.
Because hospital policies are often pretty similar, a lot of folks look to benefits to make their final choice. Qantas' sign-up bonuses, combined with the ongoing points you can earn as a member, we believe is by far the best benefits program available on any health insurance policy. Combined with that, Qantas' policies are generally pretty good value - Qantas' Silver hospital policy was highly commended in the 2024 Finder health insurance awards, coming in third place out of all of the eligible silver policies we analysed. Is scored pretty well in the other tiers as well, though the Silver tier was the standout.
For seniors, gold hospital insurance gives you the peace of mind that everything treatment category is included. You don't know what's around the corner, and the last thing you need is to not be covered for a treatment when you need it. With that in mind, Medibank has the cheapest gold policy among Australia's big 6 health funds, a 24/7 telephone nurse service, and a health concierge to gives you customised advice before you go in for treatment. That's a tonne of peace of mind for a very reasonable price.
Additionally, we believe Medibank offers some of the most robust extras policies for older Australians, with Top Extras 60 covering you for a huge range of treatments including hearing aids, blood glucose monitors and blood pressure monitors, eye therapy consultations, podiatry and more.
Pros
Medibank's gold tier hospital policy is the cheapest of the big 6 health funds. That means reliable gold cover for a great price.
It's easy to make claims with Medibank health insurance. You can do it online, on the spot in some cases where you have your member card, by phone, in store and by post.
A 24/7 nuse telehealth service means you can ask questions and get support whenever you need it.
Cons
Medibank had a pretty massive data breach a couple of years back, leading to a spike in complaints and millions of Aussie's health data being exposed. Medibank has taken some drastic steps to improve their cyber security, though it definitely knocked their reputation.
There are cheaper products, although they also cover less treatments.
We picked this product for seniors because it includes thorough, comprehensive hospital and extras cover. The gold hospital portion of the cover in particular offers the lowest price of the big 6 health funds. Additionally, we picked it because it covers more than other combined gold and extras policies, yet remains competitively priced.
Limits and waiting periods will apply, be sure to read the PDS.
Hospital Treatments
Assisted reproductive services Back neck and spine Blood Bone joint and muscle Brain and nervous system Breast surgery Cataracts Cancer Dental surgery Diabetes management Dialysis for chronic kidney failure Digestive system Ear nose and throat Eye excluding cataracts Gastrointestinal endoscopy Gynaecology Heart and vascular system Hernia and appendix Hospital psychiatric services Implantation of hearing devices Insulin pumps Joint reconstructions Joint replacements Kidney and bladder Lung and chest Male reproductive system Miscarriage and termination of pregnancy Pain management Pain management with device Palliative care Medically necessary plastic surgery Podiatric surgery Pregnancy and birth Rehabilitation Skin Sleep studies Tonsils adenoids and grommets Weight loss surgery
Extras Treatments
General Dental Major Dental Endodontic Orthodontic Optical Non-PBS Pharmaceuticals Physiotherapy Chiropractic Podiatry Psychology Acupuncture Remedial Massage Hearing aids Glucose monitor
Best health insurance for mental health (gold + extras)
This combo of ahm products offers a great comprehensive coverage when looking specifically at mental health benefits, especially for those that need help sooner rather than later. For hospital cover, psychiatric care is only covered under gold tier hospital policies. This is because psychiatric care can often involve extended hospital stays, which quickly gets very expensive, even more than complex surgery. ahm's gold policy covers this - while it's not the cheapest gold policy on the market, it does include a 24/7 nurse telehealth service and a 24/7 mental health support line, giving you the ability to talk to someone at any time of day.
Additionally, ahm extras prodicts offer great coverage for psycology and councelling services. Most importantly, the lifestyle, family and super extras policies have no waiting period on these services, so you can claim right away. This is a standing offer, and is unique across the industry.
Pros
All gold policies cover psychiatry care in a private hospital, and the extras portion of this policy has a robust benefit limit for psychology and councelling to boot.
ahm's extras policies are the only ones to have no waiting period for psychology and counselling services.
ahm's extras policy can cover health improvement items that can help with your mental health, such as stress management courses and exercise classes.
Cons
ahm's gold hospital policy is not the cheapest on the market. Even its sister fund, Medibank, has a cheaper gold policy.
ahm was caught up in the Medibank data breach a couple of years back, damaging its reputaion and leaking millions of Aussie health records.
There are other extras policies with higher benefit limits for psychology and councelling. However, they all come with a waiting periods of several months.
We picked these products because they offer comprehensive coverage when looking specifically at mental health benefits. If you need support quickly, the minimal waiting periods offered by the extras portion of the policy, alongside the 24/7 mental health support line, can give you help as soon as you sign up. While there are other policies with higher cover limits, ahm's extras policy waives the waiting periods and we believe that timely access to these benefits can be helpful to those needing access to mental health services.
Limits and waiting periods will apply, be sure to read the PDS.
Hospital Treatments
Assisted reproductive services Back neck and spine Blood Bone joint and muscle Brain and nervous system Breast surgery Cataracts Cancer Dental surgery Diabetes management Dialysis for chronic kidney failure Digestive system Ear nose and throat Eye excluding cataracts Gastrointestinal endoscopy Gynaecology Heart and vascular system Hernia and appendix Hospital psychiatric services Implantation of hearing devices Insulin pumps Joint reconstructions Joint replacements Kidney and bladder Lung and chest Male reproductive system Miscarriage and termination of pregnancy Pain management Pain management with device Palliative care Medically necessary plastic surgery Podiatric surgery Pregnancy and birth Rehabilitation Skin Sleep studies Tonsils adenoids and grommets Weight loss surgery
Extras Treatments
General Dental Major Dental Endodontic Orthodontic Optical Non-PBS Pharmaceuticals Physiotherapy Chiropractic Psychology Acupuncture Remedial Massage
When you're under 25 years old, you probably have more specific needs than older Aussies. Firstly, you'll want to get your health insurance started before the Lifetime Health Cover loading kicks in in a few years. Secondly, you'll want to have hospital cover in place to avoid the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS), when you start earning enough (we believe in you!). Thirdly, you'll probably want a decent extras policy so you can get some help with dental, optical, physio and mental health services.
HBF's basic hospital plus elevate health insurance policy is great for the first 2 issues. It's relatively cheap, yet covers a few more treatments than other basic policies. A lot of basic policies don't cover anything at all, which is kind of a waste. If you're young, healthy and looking for a tax-purposes policy, this policy offers a nice balance between price and value.
As far as extras go, hbf has some of the best value policies on the market - it cleaned up in the 2024 Finder Awards, with Flex 50 winning the medium extras category. Pair an extras plan that fits your needs with this hospital policies and you'll be off to a great start.
Pros
HBF's basic hospital plus elevate policy won the award for Basic Hospital in Finder's 2024 Health Insurance Awards because it covers more treatments than its competitors and charges a lower premium.
It's relatively cheap and is great for those looking to avoid the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS).
HBF has an excellent complaints history, with fewer complaints than any major fund, once we control for market share.
Cons
If you don't need health insurance yet, then hbf doesn't have that much to offer. But then neither do any of the other health funds.
We picked this policy because it won the 2024 Finder Award for Basic Hospital. It won because it's a good value for money policy that lets you avoid the MLS, which is typically a motivator behind under 25s getting a health insurance policy. hbf also has a great range of extras policies, including Flex 50 that won a Finder Award in 2024.
Limits and waiting periods will apply, be sure to read the PDS.
Hospital Treatments
Blood Bone joint and muscle Cancer Dental surgery Digestive system Ear nose and throat Gastrointestinal endoscopy Gynaecology Hernia and appendix Joint reconstructions Kidney and bladder Male reproductive system Miscarriage and termination of pregnancy Skin Tonsils adenoids and grommets
HBF Flex 50 won Finder's Medium Extras cover award in both 2023 and 2024. This is because it gives you $800 to split across a bunch of benefits, including dental. You can either split the $800 or use it entirely on dental. For a cheap policy, that's a huge benefit - most policies at this price point only give you a few hundred dollars of benefits.
Pros
High benefit limit of $800 that can be used entirely on dental.
HBF is not-for-profit meaning profits go back into the hands of members, not shareholders.
Finder 2024 Health Insurance Award winner - it offered more benefits for a lower premium than similar policies.
Cons
It's extras only so you won't be covered for any in hospital treatments.
We picked HBF's Flex 50 extras only policy for dental because its high coverage limit means you can get up to $800 back on dental treatments. It is also the 2023 and 2024 award winner because it covered more treatments for less money than its competitors.
Limits and waiting periods will apply, be sure to read the PDS.
Hospital Treatments
Hospital treatments not covered
Extras Treatments
General Dental Major Dental Endodontic Optical Non-PBS Pharmaceuticals Physiotherapy Chiropractic Psychology Acupuncture Remedial Massage
Best health insurance for families
Bronze Hospital Plus $250/$500 Excess + Complete 60
A combined hospital and extras policy is typically good for families because you're covered for unexpected mishaps that land you in the hospital as well as more preventative or routine care that you can rely on your extras policy for. It's good for those who have already completed their family and are looking for a good value for money health insurance policy.
This combo of policies hits both of those points - Bronze Hospital Plus is a great value policies, scoring a highly commended in the 2024 Finder Awards. It covers a range of treatments that are useful for youngsters like Ear, nose and throat, and Tonsils, adenoids and grommets. It also covers treatments that are commonly claimed for by those approaching middle age, including joint reconstructions, back, neck and spine, hernia and appendix, gynarcology and male reproductive system.
As far as extras go, Complete 60 is a really robust policy with a strong benefit limit across a range of preventative treatments including dental and optical. It also offers a generous $1800 Lifetime Limit on Orthodontics, which more than a few teenagers will need.
Pros
You'll be covered for 26 hospital treatments — that's 8 more than regular bronze policies.
You'll be covered for general dental, major dental, endodontic work and orthodontics.
You'll be covered for optical.
Cons
There are cheaper options available, but they may not cover as much.
HBF won the 2024 Finder Award for Best Health Fund of the Year. This is because it has some of the best value policies on the market, across all levels of cover. We chose this product specifically because Bronze Plus policies are great value comparent to standard Bronze policies - you get way more treatments covered for just a little more each month. This policy in particular coverage treatments that are useful both for young Aussies and those approach middle age (it happens to all of us!). The extras portion of this policy was also chosen because it serves families well by covering some of the more typical appointments you might have with young children and teenagers — dental appointments, braces and glasses.
Limits and waiting periods will apply, be sure to read the PDS.
Hospital Treatments
Back neck and spine Blood Bone joint and muscle Brain and nervous system Breast surgery Cancer Dental surgery Diabetes management Digestive system Ear nose and throat Eye excluding cataracts Gastrointestinal endoscopy Gynaecology Hernia and appendix Joint reconstructions Kidney and bladder Lung and chest Male reproductive system Miscarriage and termination of pregnancy Pain management Pain management with device Palliative care Medically necessary plastic surgery Skin Sleep studies Tonsils adenoids and grommets
Extras Treatments
General Dental Major Dental Endodontic Orthodontic Optical Non-PBS Pharmaceuticals Physiotherapy Chiropractic Podiatry Psychology Acupuncture Remedial Massage Hearing aids Glucose monitor
Why you can trust our research
400+
policies assessed
46
health funds analysed
80+
hours of research
765
customers surveyed
How we choose the picks
Finding the best health insurance in Australia comes down to value, coverage, and how well a policy fits your needs. The ideal policy should cover everything you're likely to need, without making you pay for services you won't use. To help you along the way, we look at affordability (i.e. how much different health funds cost for similar policies), benefits (i.e. what a policy covers, particularly if it offers more than the minimum for each tier), and strong customer satisfaction (i.e. by looking at customer satisfaction data, as well as its history of complaints).
There's a lot to consider, and the policy that's right for you is not going to be the same as your neighbour, friend, relateive, etc. As such, the policies above are a really good starting point, but they might not be your ending point.
Our sources include the 2024 Finder Health Insurance Awards, the ombudsman and APRA, which are the government departments that keep tabs on the health insurance industry. We also use data from customer reviews that we collect through the Finder Customer Satisfaction Awards.
Every year, the Finder Health Insurance Awards help you find the best-value policies for hospital and extras cover — so you can get great protection without overpaying. We rank over 400 policies using our Finder Score, which breaks down what really matters when choosing health insurance:
Our product data comes directly from the government. You can actually download this data yourself, if that floats your boat. Unless you're a programmer though, it's not going to be very useful – not to mention incredibly boring – so we got our experts to turn the data into something you can actually understand.
We also dive into the Ombudsman's yearly State of the Health Funds report, which is packed with insights on complaints, out-of-pocket costs, and what's actually covered.
Plus, we keep an eye on APRA's quarterly stats about private health insurance to see what cover Aussies are choosing most, so we can recommend policies you'll actually use and benefit from.
We run the Health Insurance Customer Satisfaction Awards every year to find out what Australia's favourite health funds are. This year, we asked over 750 customers to rate their insurer based on features, customer service, value for money, ease of application, customer service and whether they would recommend it to a friend.
How much does health insurance cost?
We ask hundreds of Australians what they're paying for health insurance every month. Here's what their bill looked like in March 2025.
Extras only: $50
Basic: $101
Bronze: $130
Silver: $194
Gold: $236
Price based on 500+ responses for single hospital or extras insurance.
Find the best health insurance for you (video)
Best health insurance companies
While it's hard to label any single company as the 'best', there are a few things to keep an eye out for that can help you understand each insurer's strengths. We've used data from the government's latest State of the Health Funds report to break down the top 5 for benefits paid, hospital-related charges covered and no-gap medical services.
We only looked at open membership funds – these are ones available to all Australians. If you're entitled to join a restricted membership fund though, it's worth considering. They sometimes perform better than open funds.
For benefits %
This is the percentage of total contributions the insurer received that it returned to contributors in benefits.
HBF: 83.6%
HCF: 89%
CBHS Corporate: 79.9%
St Lukes: 82.7%
Medibank: 84.9%
For hospital-related charges covered
The is the proportion of private hospital charges covered on average.
CDH: 94.2%
HBF: 93.1%
Health Partners: 92.3%
Onemedifund: 92.5%
Transport Health:
For medical services with no gap
This is the the proportion of medical services for which a gap is not payable by the patient.
Below are the results of the Finder 2024 health insurance Customer Satisfaction awards. These tell us which health funds Aussies think is the greatest for customer services and overall experience. We got responses from over 400 Australians to get these results. Funds without a score didn't get enough reviews for us to be confident of the results.
"If you think you might need an elective procedure such as a knee replacement or cataract operation in the next few years, health insurance is worthwhile as public hospital waiting lists can be very long."
Professor Luke Connelly
Professor of health economics, University of Queensland
Pro tip: Basic hospital policies let you avoid the MLS but they're often poor value. Basic plus or bronze policies give you more value for money.
Frequently asked questions
Private health cover is a type of insurance available in Australia as an alternative to Medicare, which is Australia's public health care system. Even though all Australian citizens and permanent residents are eligible for Medicare, private health insurance will cover you for care in the private hospital system. This has a few benefits, including shorter waiting times for surgery, a private room, and the ability to choose your own surgeon in many cases. Private health insurance comes in 2 flavours in Australia, extras cover and hospital cover.
Not everyone needs private health insurance, but it has a lot of benefits that might make sense to you. If you're eligible for Medicare, then you'll always have access to emergency and medically necessary treatment for free in a public hospital. However, private health insurance gives you access to benefits including your choice of doctor, your own room, better amenities and shorter wait times for elective surgery. There's also extras and ambulance cover to think about, which can be worth it even if you're young and healthy. Find out if private health insurance might be worth it for you with this 1-minute quiz.
Medicare is Australia's public healthcare system, which entitles citizens and permanent residents access to life-saving care for free in a public hospital. Unfortunately, Medicare isn't perfect! for hospital care, there can be long waiting periods for elective surgery, you probably won't get to choose your own doctor, and you may have to share a hospital room. With private hospital cover, you can get these benefits in a private hospital. Additionally, Medicare doesn't cover many out of hospital services, such as dental, optical and ambulance. Private health insurance has options to cover these as well. Learn more about Medicare vs private health insurance.
The best hospital cover is the one that suits your needs and circumstances, so it may be different for everyone. However, HCF won the 2024 Finder Health Insurance Award for best fund and performed well in the government's State of the Funds report, so is a good place to start.
The best health insurance fund depends on what you're looking for. For some, that could be a not-for-profit and for others it could be the most popular health insurer. It might help you to know that HBF was awarded Finder's Best Health Fund award for 2024.
Since every family has different health needs, the easiest way to find a policy is to compare family options using our health insurance engine. For example, depending on your circumstances, you may want to get pregnancy cover if you plan to have kids or look for a policy that covers your teenager for free.
Many visitors and temporary workers aren't eligible for the same health insurance policies as Australians. Instead, you'll need overseas visitor health cover (OVHC). This is a type of health insurance designed specifically for non-Australian residents. These policies start from around $64.50 a month and at the very least should cover hospital care and repatriation. Some can also help pay for doctor's appointments, prescription medicine and out-of-hospital treatment such as dental.
There are lots of ways to get cheaper health insurance including paying annually, joining a restricted fund if you're eligible and mixing and matching your hospital and extras cover because it often costs less to get a policy with 2 different funds.
No gap in Australian health insurance means you won't pay any extra fees on top of your regular premiums for specific services. Your insurer covers the full cost beyond what Medicare pays for things like surgery or certain treatments. Just remember, it only applies to specific services and policies can vary, so always check the details with your provider to avoid any surprises.
Medibank Gold Protect + Growing Family 70 is a great option for those looking for pregnancy cover in their health insurance. It's good because it comes with benefits you don't get with other insurers, such as 24/7 access to Medibank Nurse - an OptimalMe program for mums-to-be and pregnancy health concierge. It also includes antenatal and postnatal classes. Keep in mind, what's best is different from person to person. Be sure to look at many options and carefully read through the inclusions of each policy before making your decision.
A seasoned journalist with over 10 years of experience in news, politics and finance reporting, Tim has previously held roles at the ABC, SBS and Fairfax Media. Tim’s expert insights have been quoted in The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, The Courier Mail and more. He regularly appears on TV and radio, and has been interviewed on 7 News, Sunrise, SBS News, ABC Local, 3AW and 5AA. Tim is passionate about simplifying complex insurance topics for Australian consumers. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Politics) from Macquarie University and a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification, which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146).
If you’re interested in a media interview with Tim, please reach out to our PR team at aupr@finder.com. See full bio
Tim's expertise
Tim has written 149 Finder guides across topics including:
Gary Ross Hunter has over 6 years of expertise writing about insurance, including life, health, home, and car insurance. Having reviewed hundreds of product disclosure statements and published over 800 articles, he loves simplifying complex insurance topics for everyday readers. Gary has contributed to major outlets like Yahoo Finance, The Sydney Morning Herald, and news.com.au, and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Literature from the University of Glasgow, along with a Tier 2 General Advice certification, ensuring his work adheres to ASIC’s RG146 standards. See full bio
Gary Ross's expertise
Gary Ross has written 619 Finder guides across topics including:
I may need cataract surgery and am wondering what results there are for
for the best cover for this procedure.
Also if there is a bulk billing available for seniors .
Finder
AngusFebruary 18, 2025Finder
Hi Robert, Check out our guide to cataract surgery costs and cover for information on policies that will cover this. Generally this does require more expensive policies. Cataract surgery is covered under Medicare, but the waiting lists can be longer and you may still have to pay some specialist fees.
DeanOctober 13, 2021
Could you please tell me which health fund covers dependents at no extras cost. Adult dependents who are not studying, living with parents and not working or in a de-facto relationship and between the age of 21-25?
Finder
JamesOctober 21, 2021Finder
Hi Dean,
Typically, there’s no extra cost for dependents – up to the policy’s stated maximum age (which is 31). There’s no age limit for any dependents with a disability.
Feel free to compare your health insurance options in the table above. Be sure to read through the terms and conditions of your chosen insurer with care before you buy.
Regards,
James
MichaelFebruary 15, 2017
Which private health insurance companies offer the best reimbursement of the cost of hearing aids?
Finder
ZubairFebruary 16, 2017Finder
Hi Michael,
Thank you for your question.
The best insurance company for you would be the one that best meets your needs, preference, and budget.
If you would like to review the cover limits of Australian funds for hearing aids please head over to our health insurance for hearing aids article.
Open that link and you will find a list of health insurance brands that offer hearing aids cover. Check our comparison table to get an overview of their offer. Once you’re done comparing, you can then select the “Go to site” button to be redirected to your chosen provider’s official website.
While looking for insurers, please make sure you read the terms and conditions of the policy to learn more and know if it is the right policy for you or not.
I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.
Get affordable cover for ambulance transport if you are not already covered under Medicare. Compare quotes from Australian funds to decide which level of protection is best for you.
Mental health issues are serious and can be costly, which is why Australian health funds are legally obligated to offer cover for treatment.
Important information about this website
Finder makes money from featured partners, but editorial opinions are our own.
Finder is one of Australia's leading comparison websites. We are committed to our readers and stand by our editorial principles.
We try to take an open and transparent approach and provide a broad-based comparison service. However, you should be aware that while we are an independently owned service, our comparison service does not include all providers or all products available in the market.
Some product issuers may provide products or offer services through multiple brands, associated companies or different labeling arrangements. This can make it difficult for consumers to compare alternatives or identify the companies behind the products. However, we aim to provide information to enable consumers to understand these issues.
We make money by featuring products on our site. Compensation received from the providers featured on our site can influence which products we write about as well as where and how products appear on our page, but the order or placement of these products does not influence our assessment or opinions of them, nor is it an endorsement or recommendation for them.
Products marked as 'Top Pick', 'Promoted' or 'Advertisement' are prominently displayed either as a result of a commercial advertising arrangement or to highlight a particular product, provider or feature. Finder may receive remuneration from the Provider if you click on the related link, purchase or enquire about the product. Finder's decision to show a 'promoted' product is neither a recommendation that the product is appropriate for you nor an indication that the product is the best in its category. We encourage you to use the tools and information we provide to compare your options.
Where our site links to particular products or displays 'Go to site' buttons, we may receive a commission, referral fee or payment when you click on those buttons or apply for a product.
When products are grouped in a table or list, the order in which they are initially sorted may be influenced by a range of factors including price, fees and discounts; commercial partnerships; product features; and brand popularity. We provide tools so you can sort and filter these lists to highlight features that matter to you.
Please read our website terms of use and privacy policy for more information about our services and our approach to privacy.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
I may need cataract surgery and am wondering what results there are for
for the best cover for this procedure.
Also if there is a bulk billing available for seniors .
Hi Robert, Check out our guide to cataract surgery costs and cover for information on policies that will cover this. Generally this does require more expensive policies. Cataract surgery is covered under Medicare, but the waiting lists can be longer and you may still have to pay some specialist fees.
Could you please tell me which health fund covers dependents at no extras cost. Adult dependents who are not studying, living with parents and not working or in a de-facto relationship and between the age of 21-25?
Hi Dean,
Typically, there’s no extra cost for dependents – up to the policy’s stated maximum age (which is 31). There’s no age limit for any dependents with a disability.
Feel free to compare your health insurance options in the table above. Be sure to read through the terms and conditions of your chosen insurer with care before you buy.
Regards,
James
Which private health insurance companies offer the best reimbursement of the cost of hearing aids?
Hi Michael,
Thank you for your question.
The best insurance company for you would be the one that best meets your needs, preference, and budget.
If you would like to review the cover limits of Australian funds for hearing aids please head over to our health insurance for hearing aids article.
Open that link and you will find a list of health insurance brands that offer hearing aids cover. Check our comparison table to get an overview of their offer. Once you’re done comparing, you can then select the “Go to site” button to be redirected to your chosen provider’s official website.
While looking for insurers, please make sure you read the terms and conditions of the policy to learn more and know if it is the right policy for you or not.
I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.
Have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Zubair