What's the best health insurance in NSW?

There's no single best health insurance policy in NSW, or in any state, for that matter. When you compare private health insurance , you need to consider your needs, budget, what state you live in and what level of coverage you want for yourself or your family. We can help make that process easier, but you'll have to make the final decision.

Is health insurance cheap in NSW?

Average health insurance premiums in NSW are slightly higher that the national average, but are typical when compared to similar states, like Queensland and Victoria. In Australia, the price of health insurance does vary by state , for a variety of reasons.

Do I need Ambulance cover in NSW?

NSW residents pays less for ambulance services than some Aussies, because the state government provides a partial subsidy, but it can still be a hefty fee. To avoid several hundred dollars of ambulance costs, you should consider ambulance-only health insurance , assuming your main policy doesn't include ambulance cover.

NSW Health Insurance

46.2% of people in NSW have hospital cover. 56.9% have extras cover.
NSW residents are more likely to have hospital cover than the average Aussie.
The price of health insurance in NSW is almost exactly the national average.

The price of hospital insurance in NSW

NSW hospital premiums are very close to the national average. NSW makes up a big chunk of the national population, so that's not super surprising. Premiums are set by state, so you'll pay the same in Bondi, Bowral or Broken Hill. Below are average monthly hospital premiums by tier for a single person earning less than $97,000 a year with a $750 excess. The numbers are based on the government databased in September 2024.

NSW health insurance statistics

46.2% of NSW residents have hospital cover, while 56.9% have extras cover. That's a little higher than the national average. See the table below for more details. These numbers come from APRA's quarterly health insurance statistics in June 2024.

	Hospital Cover	Extras cover
NSW	46.2%	56.9%
Australia	44.8%	54.5%

	Hospital	Extras
Australia	44.8%	54.5%
NSW	46.2%	56.9%
VIC	42.2%	49.9%
QLD	41.0%	48.0%
SA	44.9%	59.4%
WA	54.0%	68.1%
TAS	41.8%	49.8%
ACT	53.6%	65.6%
NT	39.9%	44.8%

Compare health insurance policies in NSW

The table below compares combined policies from Finder partners available in New South Wales. It includes policies with Bronze, Silver and Gold hospital cover. It's sorted by value using the Finder score algorithm our experts use for the Finder health insurance awards. Prices are for a single person earning less than $97,000 living in Sydney, with a $750 excess - learn why this matters here.

How we calculate our Finder Score

The Finder Score ranks every health policy in our database on value for money. We updated this monthly with data provided by Ombudsman.

We consider the 38 hospital treatment categories, plus the covered extras categories and the total extras benefit. We also use the average price for each product. Here's the breakdown of factors we consider.

Factors that affect your health insurance premiums

There are several factors that will change the price of your health insurance premiums, whether you get hospital or extras cover. Here are the main ones to consider.

Private Health Insurance Rebate: The price of your policy can vary by over 25% due to rebate. It's mainly based on your age and income.
Lifetime Health Cover Loading: If you don't have hospital cover after age 31, a 2% loading will be added to the price each year you don't have it.
State: The cost of medical care is different in every state, and that's reflected in your premiums.
Policy Excess: A policy with a larger excess will have lower premiums, but you will have more out of pocket costs when you claim.

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Name	Treatments	Price	Apply
Bronze Hospital Plus $750/$1500 Excess + Flex 50 Bronze Plus$750 excess	Hospital Joint reconstructions Ear nose and throat Blood Back neck and spine +22 other treatments covered Extras General dental Major dental Optical Hearing aids +7 other treatments covered Get up to $1000 cashback. For new members who join by 15 April and maintain hospital and extras cover. T&Cs apply. Current offer Get up to $1000 cashback. For new members who join by 15 April and maintain hospital and extras cover. T&Cs apply.	$139.14 per month	Go to Site All treatments Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Medibank Bronze Everyday + Healthy Start Extras Bronze$750 excess	Hospital Joint reconstructions Ear nose and throat Blood Back neck and spine +16 other treatments covered Extras General dental Major dental Optical Hearing aids +7 other treatments covered Get up to 12 weeks free and $500 in gift cards (couples/families) or $250 in gift cards (singles/single parents) when you join and maintain eligible Bronze Hospital+Extras cover or above. Offer ends 9 April 2025. New members only. T&Cs apply. Excludes Basic covers. Current offer Get up to 12 weeks free and $500 in gift cards (couples/families) or $250 in gift cards (singles/single parents) when you join and maintain eligible Bronze Hospital+Extras cover or above. Offer ends 9 April 2025. New members only. T&Cs apply. Excludes Basic covers.	$119.76 per month	Go to Site All treatments Compare	loading Fetching your data...
HCF HOSPITAL BRONZE PLUS $750 EXCESS + HCF STARTER EXTRAS Bronze Plus$750 excess	Hospital Joint reconstructions Ear nose and throat Blood Back neck and spine +22 other treatments covered Extras General dental Major dental Optical Hearing aids +4 other treatments covered Get 6 weeks free & 2-month waived waiting period if you join HCF by 17 April 2025 on eligible combined hospital and extras cover and stay for 3 months. The offer excludes hospital premium gold, hospital optimal gold, corporate hospital premium gold, and overseas visitors health cover. T&Cs apply. Current offer Get 6 weeks free & 2-month waived waiting period if you join HCF by 17 April 2025 on eligible combined hospital and extras cover and stay for 3 months. The offer excludes hospital premium gold, hospital optimal gold, corporate hospital premium gold, and overseas visitors health cover. T&Cs apply.	$104.27 per month	Go to Site All treatments Compare	loading Fetching your data...
HCF HOSPITAL BRONZE PLUS $750 EXCESS + HCF STARTER EXTRAS (WITH OPTICAL) Bronze Plus$750 excess	Hospital Joint reconstructions Ear nose and throat Blood Back neck and spine +22 other treatments covered Extras General dental Major dental Optical Hearing aids +4 other treatments covered Get 6 weeks free & 2-month waived waiting period if you join HCF by 17 April 2025 on eligible combined hospital and extras cover and stay for 3 months. The offer excludes hospital premium gold, hospital optimal gold, corporate hospital premium gold, and overseas visitors health cover. T&Cs apply. Current offer Get 6 weeks free & 2-month waived waiting period if you join HCF by 17 April 2025 on eligible combined hospital and extras cover and stay for 3 months. The offer excludes hospital premium gold, hospital optimal gold, corporate hospital premium gold, and overseas visitors health cover. T&Cs apply.	$108.53 per month	Go to Site All treatments Compare	loading Fetching your data...
HCF HOSPITAL BRONZE PLUS $750 EXCESS + HCF MID EXTRAS Bronze Plus$750 excess	Hospital Joint reconstructions Ear nose and throat Blood Back neck and spine +22 other treatments covered Extras General dental Major dental Optical Hearing aids +5 other treatments covered Get 6 weeks free & 2-month waived waiting period if you join HCF by 17 April 2025 on eligible combined hospital and extras cover and stay for 3 months. The offer excludes hospital premium gold, hospital optimal gold, corporate hospital premium gold, and overseas visitors health cover. T&Cs apply. Current offer Get 6 weeks free & 2-month waived waiting period if you join HCF by 17 April 2025 on eligible combined hospital and extras cover and stay for 3 months. The offer excludes hospital premium gold, hospital optimal gold, corporate hospital premium gold, and overseas visitors health cover. T&Cs apply.	$126.17 per month	Go to Site All treatments Compare	loading Fetching your data...
simple bronze plus + value extras Bronze Plus$750 excess	Hospital Joint reconstructions Ear nose and throat Blood Back neck and spine +20 other treatments covered Extras General dental Major dental Optical Hearing aids +7 other treatments covered	$123.04 per month	Go to Site All treatments Compare	loading Fetching your data...
simple bronze plus + choosable 50 – teeth Bronze Plus$750 excess	Hospital Joint reconstructions Ear nose and throat Blood Back neck and spine +20 other treatments covered Extras General dental Major dental Optical Hearing aids +1 other treatments covered	$103.21 per month	Go to Site All treatments Compare	loading Fetching your data...
HCF HOSPITAL BRONZE PLUS $750 EXCESS + HCF FLEX MY EXTRAS Bronze Plus$750 excess	Hospital Joint reconstructions Ear nose and throat Blood Back neck and spine +22 other treatments covered Extras General dental Major dental Optical Hearing aids +3 other treatments covered Get 6 weeks free & 2-month waived waiting period if you join HCF by 17 April 2025 on eligible combined hospital and extras cover and stay for 3 months. The offer excludes hospital premium gold, hospital optimal gold, corporate hospital premium gold, and overseas visitors health cover. T&Cs apply. Current offer Get 6 weeks free & 2-month waived waiting period if you join HCF by 17 April 2025 on eligible combined hospital and extras cover and stay for 3 months. The offer excludes hospital premium gold, hospital optimal gold, corporate hospital premium gold, and overseas visitors health cover. T&Cs apply.	$120.44 per month	Go to Site All treatments Compare	loading Fetching your data...

Frequently asked questions

There's no single best health insurance policy in NSW, or in any state, for that matter. When you compare private health insurance, you need to consider your needs, budget, what state you live in and what level of coverage you want for yourself or your family. We can help make that process easier, but you'll have to make the final decision.

Thank you for your feedback!

Written by

Tim Bennett

Insurance expert

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 146 Finder guides across topics including:

Personal finance
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Health insurance
General insurance
Life insurance

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NSW Health Insurance

Health insurance varies by state, so New South Welshmen will pay different premiums than Aussies in other states. No matter which state you live in, it's important to compare policies to figure out which is best for you.