Corporate health insurance in Australia
Working 9 to 5 is a drag, but a corporate health insurance might sweeten the deal. Emphasis on the 'might'.
Key takeaways
- Corporate health insurance isn't as common in Australia as in North America, but does exist.
- Some of the biggest funds in Australia offer corporate cover including Bupa, Medibank and HCF.
- A more common alternative to corporate health insurance are personal policies from restricted funds, who only offer cover to certain professions.
Which funds offer corporate policies in Australia?
There aren't many funds that offer corporate health insurance in Australia. Below are the health insurers currently offering corporate health plans. Most of the big funds (other than ahm) have some sort of corporate partnership program.
| Health fund | Features of corporate plans offered by open health funds |
|---|---|
 | HCF's corporate plans offer both hospital and extras policies:
|
 | Medibank corporate plans include:
|
 | nib corporate plans offer a choice of combined hospital and extras policies:
|
 | Bupa corporate health plans provide a range of benefits to members including:
|
 | GU Health corporate plans offer both hospital and extras policies:
|
 | HBF's corporate plans offer a choice of hospital and extras cover which include:
|
 | HIF corporate health plans include the standard benefits you would expect such as the freedom to choose your healthcare providers and access to over 500 hospitals across Australia, as well as:
|
 | Queensland Country Health's corporate plans include:
|
Pros and cons of corporate health insurance policies
If you're an employer thinking about offering health insurance to your staff, there are some pros and cons to consider.
Pros
- A great package may help attract and retain great employees for your business.
- Wellness and vitality programs from your health fund can improve the health of your staff.
- Because they're bought in bulk, corporate policies are often cheaper than personal plans.
Cons
- Not everyone wants their health insurance to be tied to their employment, especially in Australia.
- Maintaining a corporate health insurance policy will require some additional work from your Human Resources department.
How do corporate health policies work in Australia?
In Australia, health insurance isn't tied to your employer, like it is in some other countries, notable the United States. This is a really good thing, as it means we don't have the same reliance on our employer for our health and wellbeing. I'm sure there are people that would disagree with that statement, but in my humble opinion they would be wrong.
Anyway, most of Australia's corporate health insurance policies are more like corporate partnerships. Health funds will partner with comapnies - typically big ones like airlines and universities - to offer discounts, sign-up offers or a special set of corporate policies that might offer better value than retail policies.
Who pays for corporate health policies?
In Australia there are typically 3 ways corporate health insurance can be paid for:
The level of cover and who pays depends on the package the employer is able to negotiate with a health fund.
Is corporate health cover worth it?
If you're an Aussie employee with a corporate health insurance offer on the table, it's definitely worth considering. Sometimes, corporate policies are just normal policies with a discount. For example, Sydney Uni has a deal with Medibank to give staff 9% off their policy. That's a pretty solid offer! Of course, if your employer is offering to cover some of the cost, that's another green flag.
Remember, if you end your employment with a corporate policy, you'll still be able to be covered. You'll have to liaise with the health fund on the details, but they'll want to keep you as a customer. You may have to change the payment details and you might lose a discount, but you'll likely be able to stay on the same or a very similar policy.
Restricted funds: Industry-wide corporate health cover?
While not technically a corporate policy, there are several funds in Australia that are restrcited to people in particular industries. The largest of these is Teacher's Health Fund, but there are options for doctors, police, the Navy and more.
While the difference between restricted and open funds is relatively minimal, having access to one does give you another option to compare.
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 2026.
- Extras only: $53
- Basic: $90
- Bronze: $144
- Silver: $184
- Gold: $285
Frequently asked questions
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