What sign-up deals are available for health insurance in Australia?

Aussie health insurance providers regularly offer deals for new customers, with perks like 4 weeks of free cover, a waiver on 2- and 6-month waiting periods, or bonus frequenty flyer points. These deals change each month, so check our up-to-date list to see what's available now.

How do I switch health insurers?

Switching health insurance policies is generally an easy process, often handled by your new insurer. Once you sign up with your new insurer, they will contact your old insurer to cancel your policy and obtain a transfer certificate. When the paperwork is cleared, your new cover date will start with your new insurer.

When are health insurance deals typically released?

Most funds run their biggest promotions during three windows: EOFY (May–June), the weeks after the annual April premium rise and November–December. Outside these periods, deals are thinner and less competitive. If you're not in a rush, timing your switch around one of these peaks can get you more value out of your cover.

Do I have to commit to 12 months to get the deal?

Some deals require a minimum 12-month commitment, which is why it's important to always check the terms before signing up. The eligibility section under each deal in our comparison table flags minimum duration requirements so you can compare like for like.

Can I get a deal as a new customer or only when switching?

Most promotional offers are open to both new customers and people switching from another fund.

What's a 'free cover period'?

A free cover period means the fund waives your premiums for a set number of weeks, typically between 4 and 12 weeks, after you sign up. You're fully covered during that time; you just don't pay. The free period usually applies after any applicable waiting periods are served.

Are EOFY health insurance deals the best of the year?

While this does depend on what you consider a 'good deal', the EOFY is generally the most competitive promotional period for health insurance. Funds tend to run their longest free cover periods and highest cashback amounts during May and June, as many Aussies opt to take out hospital cover to avoid the MLS.

Are health insurance sign-up deals available when switch provider?

Yes, health insurance deals can be used when switching providers, you don't need to be brand new to health insurance. Generally the only restriction is that you'll need to be considered a new customer by the fund you're signing up to. Learn more about getting a great deal when switching providers.

How else can I save on my health insurance costs?

Sometimes, you can take advantage of additional discounts: Corporate policies. Check with your employer to see if they offer corporate health insurance. Corporate sector discounts of up to 12% are often granted by health funds, which are then passed onto employees in the form of cheaper policies. Family policies. Many health funds offer incentives for families, such as no hospital admission excess for children, no-gap dental and allowing you to keep your child on your policy until they turn 25 (if they are studying full time). Single parent policies. Health funds have been allowed to provide single parents with a reduced premium compared to the family rate since 2007. If your fund does not offer a reduced rate, consider moving to another fund that does. Annual and direct debit discounts. Look for a fund that rewards you for prepaying your premiums or having them direct debited out of your account.

Health Insurance Deals 2026

We've rounded up all the current health insurance deals available on Finder to help you get the most from your health insurance.
Switching health insurance is a generally easy process and is often managed by your new insurer.
Always check that long-term benefits align with your needs, rather than only looking at the initial sign up discount or benefits.

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13 of 13 results

Name
Name Sign-up Offer Bupa HI Pty Ltd Get up to 8 weeks free Ends 18 November 2026 Get up to 8 weeks free + up to $400 in a Flight Centre gift card on eligible cover. New direct joins only. Offer ends 18 Nov 2026. T&Cs and exclusions apply. GET DEAL		loading Fetching your data...
Name Sign-up Offer HBF Health Limited Get up to 12 weeks free and up to $200 gift card Ends 08 December 2026 For new members who join by 8 Dec and maintain hospital and extras cover. T&Cs apply. GET DEAL		loading Fetching your data...
Name Sign-up Offer HBF Health Limited Get 6 weeks free on extras cover Ends 17 November 2026 Get 6 weeks free on eligible extras cover. For new members who join by 17 Nov 2026 and maintain eligible extras cover. T&Cs apply. GET DEAL		loading Fetching your data...
Name Sign-up Offer HBF Health Limited Get 6 weeks free on hospital cover Ends 17 November 2026 Get 6 weeks free after your first month of hospital cover. For new members who join eligible hospital cover by 17 Nov 2026. T&Cs apply. GET DEAL		loading Fetching your data...
Name Sign-up Offer ahm health insurance Get up to 12 weeks free Ends 30 November 2026 When you join by 30 Nov 2026. For new joins on eligible combined hospital & extras. T&Cs apply. GET DEAL		loading Fetching your data...
Name Sign-up Offer see-u by HBF Get up to 6 weeks free Ends 01 November 2026 Plus your choice of up to $250 in gift cards or waived waiting periods on eligible extras. For new members who join and maintain eligible Hospital and Extras cover by 1 Nov 2026. T&Cs apply. GET DEAL		loading Fetching your data...
Name Sign-up Offer Qantas Insurance Earn up to 130,000 Qantas Points Ends 30 November 2026 Points will be awarded based on your level of cover over 6 months. T&Cs apply. GET DEAL		loading Fetching your data...
Name Sign-up Offer Medibank Private Limited Get up to 10 weeks free New members can get up to 10 weeks free when they join & maintain eligible Hospital & Extras cover. T&Cs apply. GET DEAL		loading Fetching your data...
Name Sign-up Offer Medibank Private Limited Get 4 weeks free + a $50 gift card + 2 and 6 month waits waived on Extras For new members only. Excludes Healthy Living Extras. T&Cs apply. GET DEAL		loading Fetching your data...
Name Sign-up Offer Medibank Private Limited Want 6 weeks free plus up to $200 in gift cards? New members only. T&Cs apply. GET DEAL		loading Fetching your data...
Name Sign-up Offer ahm health insurance Get up to 8 weeks free Ends 30 November 2026 When you join ahm by 30 Nov 2026. For new joins on eligible extras. T&Cs apply. GET DEAL		loading Fetching your data...
Name Sign-up Offer ING Health Insurance Get 6 weeks free Ends 30 November 2026 Plus 2 and 6 month waiting periods waived on Extras. For new members who join combined Hospital and Extras cover by 30 Nov 2026. T&Cs apply. GET DEAL		loading Fetching your data...
Name Sign-up Offer HCF Get 6 weeks free, plus 2-month waiting periods waived on Extras Ends 10 November 2026 For new members who join eligible Hospital and Extras cover by 10 Nov 2026. T&Cs apply. GET DEAL		loading Fetching your data...

Showing 13 of 13 results

While it's great to get a deal when signing up to a new health insurance policy, the most important thing is that you get the right cover for your needs. Don't be tempted to sign up with a provider or policy that isn't right for you just because it has a great discount. Here are a few key things to keep in mind when comparing health insurance offers.

Do's:

Make sure the policy you've picked is right for you and your needs.
Be sure that you can pay your premiums after any free period.
Remember to consider the ongoing member benefits of any health insurance brand that you're considering.

Do not's:

Don't buy a policy that doesn't suit your needs just because there's a great sign-up offer.
Make sure you check out the terms and conditions. For example, most sign-up offers require you to be a new customer to that provider.

Are these deals actually good?

Health insurance funds run promotions year-round, but you'll find some periods tend to be "hotter" than others. Let's go through some of the most common times of the year when health insurers go big with their deals:

The typical Australian health insurance deal cycle

Australian health funds follow a fairly predictable promotional calendar:

EOFY (May–June): This is the peak time of year where funds compete hardest, driven by MLS deadline pressure and end-of-financial-year spending mindset. Free cover periods tend to be at their longest and cashback offers at their highest during this period.
Post-April premium rise: Funds often try to soften the blow of their annual price increase with a promotional offer. While they are worth evaluating, keep in mind the deal is sometimes offset by the higher base premium you're now paying.
Year-end (November-December): Not as strong as EOFY but these deals are noticeably better than the mid-year lull.

Did you know?

Did you know 83% of Australians stayed with the same health insurer despite premiums rising by an average of 4.41%, according to Finder's 2026 Health Report? Just 40% review their policy every year, meaning many are missing out on better deals elsewhere. Comparing offers from other funds, including sign-up incentives and multi-policy discounts, is one of the simplest ways to make sure you're not paying more than you need to for the same cover.

Health insurance sign-up deals change each month, but there are a few common types of offers you're likely to see.

Free cover period

One of the most common sign-up offers you'll see in health insurance is a number of weeks of free coverage. The amount of time is normally between 4 and 12 weeks. You'll sometimes need to be signed up for a minimum period of time (3 months, for example) before entering your free coverage period.

Waived waiting periods

Many providers will offer to waive some waiting periods on new policies, so that you can claim right away. This is especially common on extras policies. Most offers will waive 2 and 6 month waiting periods.

Bonus frequent flyer points

Health insurance providers associated with airline brands will offer bonus frequent flyer points for new sign-ups. To claim the full bonus you'll generally need to be on a high level of cover for a minimum number of months. Lower levels of cover will often give you a smaller number of points.

Health insurance member benefits

As well as sign-up deals, many health insurance brands all offer a range of ongoing member benefits and rewards, which you should be aware of. Here are some of the current health insurance offers available from Finder partners:

Health fund	Member offer
	Key offers: Get 10% off ahm life insurance premiums. Up to 25% off a single pair of glasses Specsavers. Get 20% off lenses and lens extras, and 10% off contact lenses at OPSM.
	Key offers: 15% off selected sunnies at Sunglass Hut. 15% off Medibank travel insurance. 15% off laser eye surgery at Vision Eye Institute.
	Key offers: Up to 12,000 Qantas Points with the Qantas Wellbeing App.
	Key offers: HCF Thank you membership program. Up to 25% off travel insurance. Up to 15% off pet insurance. Discount on GP2U's standard rates.
	Key offers: $70 EFTPOS card every time you successfully refer a friend.
	Key offers: 15% off nib travel insurance. Access to nib Health Management Programs. 100% back on dental check-ups at nib Dental Care Centres.
	Key offers: Redeem savings on everyday essentials. Discounted e-gift cards from 100+ well known brands. Enjoy great savings at 300 restaurants across Australia. Access discounted cinema e-vouchers. When you shop through Life Rewards. Discounts on Bupa car, home, travel and pet insurance.
	Key offers: Wellness benefits. Optical discounts.
	Reduced premiums. Pay with direct debit and save 4% on your monthly premiums.

Table last updated Sep 2026.

Potential benefits of switching health insurance provider

Sign-up deals aren't just for people who are brand new to health insurance. Any of the current offers on this page are also available to people switching from one provider to another, so long as you're a new customer to the brand you're switching to. It's one of the three big benefits to switching health insurance providers regularly:

Sign-up deals

Health insurance sign-up deals are available to people switching providers, as long as you're a new customer to the fresh provider.

Quick and easy

Switching health insurance providers is easy - just sign up with the new provider. The new provider will sort it all out for you.

No extra waiting periods

Any waiting periods you've already served will transfer to your new provider, as long as the coverage level is the same.

How to switch your health insurance: a step-by-step guide

Switching your health insurance is actually a lot simpler than most people expect, and you won't lose the waiting periods you've already served.

Compare current deals: Use the table above to find the best offer available for your cover type and situation (single, couple, family). It's also a good idea to confirm you meet the deal requirements before you apply.
Apply with the new fund: Complete an application online. You may be able to consent to the new fund contacting your previous insurer to cancel your existing policy. To do this, they will request a "clearance certificate", which details your cover history, waiting periods served and claims.
Cancel your old policy: Once the new fund receives your clearance certificate, your old policy is typically cancelled automatically and your new health insurance policy is now active.

Frequently asked questions

Sometimes, you can take advantage of additional discounts:
- Corporate policies. Check with your employer to see if they offer corporate health insurance. Corporate sector discounts of up to 12% are often granted by health funds, which are then passed onto employees in the form of cheaper policies.
- Family policies. Many health funds offer incentives for families, such as no hospital admission excess for children, no-gap dental and allowing you to keep your child on your policy until they turn 25 (if they are studying full time).
- Single parent policies. Health funds have been allowed to provide single parents with a reduced premium compared to the family rate since 2007. If your fund does not offer a reduced rate, consider moving to another fund that does.
- Annual and direct debit discounts. Look for a fund that rewards you for prepaying your premiums or having them direct debited out of your account.

Sources

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Angus Kidman as part of our fact-checking process.

Written by

Ceyda Erem

Senior writer

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Ceyda Erem is Finder’s senior writer for insurance and has almost 10 years of experience writing about personal finance. Formerly a copywriter for several business and finance clients, Ceyda has written hundreds of articles, guides, blogs and more to ensure Australians stay in the loop about how to best manage their money. She has a Bachelor of Arts, Majoring in Writing from Macquarie University. See full bio

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Ceyda has written 232 Finder guides across topics including:

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Co-written by

Gary Ross Hunter

Journalist

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 521 Finder guides across topics including:

Health, home, life, car, pet and travel insurance
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