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

Who’s this health cover for?

47% of people in NSW have hospital cover. 57.6% have extras cover.
NSW residents are more likely to have hospital cover than the average Aussie.
The price of health insurance in NSW is higher than 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 $105,000 a year with a $750 excess. The numbers are based on the government databased in April 2026.

NSW health insurance statistics

47% of NSW residents have hospital cover, while 57.6% 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 December 2025.

	Hospital Cover	Extras cover
NSW	47%	57.6%
Australia	45.6%	55.3%

	Hospital	Extras
Australia	45.6%	55.3%
NSW	47%	57.6%
VIC	43%	50.8%
QLD	41.7%	48.7%
SA	45.6%	60%
WA	54.7%	68.2%
TAS	42.8%	51.2%
ACT	54.2%	66.1%
NT	39%	44%

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 $101,000 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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Treatments	Price
HCF HOSPITAL BRONZE PLUS $750 EXCESS + HCF STARTER EXTRAS Bronze$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	$27.09 per week	Get HCF loyalty rewards and member discounts on e-Gift cards across Australian stores.	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
Lite Bronze Hospital Plus $750/$1500 Excess + Smart Start Extras Bronze$750 excess	Hospital Joint reconstructions Ear nose and throat Blood Back neck and spine +19 other treatments covered Extras General dental Major dental Optical Hearing aids +4 other treatments covered	$25.81 per week	Intro offer: Get up to 12 weeks free and up to $200 in gift cards, plus waived waiting periods on eligible extras. For new members who join and maintain Hospital and Extras cover by 20 Oct 2026. T&Cs apply.	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
Medibank Bronze Plus Value + Healthy Living Extras Bronze$750 excess	Hospital Joint reconstructions Ear nose and throat Blood Back neck and spine +21 other treatments covered Extras General dental Major dental Optical Hearing aids	$25.96 per week	Intro offer: Get 6 weeks free. For new members who join and maintain eligible Hospital and Extras cover. T&Cs apply.	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
Bronze Hospital Plus $750/$1500 Excess + Flex 50 Bronze$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	$34.21 per week	Intro offer: Get up to 12 weeks free and up to $200 in gift cards, plus waived waiting periods on eligible extras. For new members who join and maintain Hospital and Extras cover by 20 Oct 2026. T&Cs apply.	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
GMHBA Bronze Plus Advantage Hospital $750 + GMHBA Mid Extras Set Benefits Bronze$750 excess	Hospital Joint reconstructions Ear nose and throat Blood Back neck and spine +19 other treatments covered Extras General dental Major dental Optical Hearing aids +10 other treatments covered	$35.92 per week	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
HCF HOSPITAL BRONZE PLUS $750 EXCESS + HCF STARTER EXTRAS (WITH OPTICAL) Bronze$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	$28.11 per week	Get HCF loyalty rewards and member discounts on e-Gift cards across Australian stores.	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
HCF HOSPITAL BRONZE PLUS $750 EXCESS + HCF MID EXTRAS Bronze$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	$32.57 per week	Get HCF loyalty rewards and member discounts on e-Gift cards across Australian stores.	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading
HCF HOSPITAL BRONZE PLUS $750 EXCESS + HCF FLEX MY EXTRAS Bronze$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	$31.02 per week	Get HCF loyalty rewards and member discounts on e-Gift cards across Australian stores.	Go to Site View details Compare product selectionCompare	loading

Showing 8 of 298 results

Did you know?

Did you know 20% of people in New South Wales have skipped medical treatment because of the cost, according to Finder's 2026 Health Report? That's below the national average of 23%, but still one in five residents delaying care they may need. Comparing health insurance policies for value, rather than going without cover altogether, is one way to make sure cost doesn't stand between you and the treatment you need.

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.

Sources

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 145 Finder guides across topics including:

Personal finance
Financial comparison
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.