Health insurance for sterilisation
Many health insurance policies will cover a range of male and female sterilisation procedures such as vasectomy, tubal ligation and hysterectomy. Compare health funds.
What different scores mean
9+
Excellent
These products offer a balance between low pricing and more features.
7+
Great
Competitive products within their group.
5+
Standard
Usually these products would either have fewer treatments covered or higher pricing.
0+
Basic
Offering basic cover with limited features or higher pricing.
Key takeaways
- There are a range of private cover options for the common sterilisation and sterilisation reversal procedures.
- Every Bronze, Silver and Gold hospital policy must cover vasectomies and tubal ligation when they're done in hospital.
- Hysterectomies fall under Gynaecology, which every Bronze, Silver and Gold hospital policy must also cover.
Health insurance policies for sterilisation
Below you'll find a selection of Finder partners that cover sterilisation, and the minimum policy tier that covers the treatment. All have a two-month waiting period. All prices are based on a single individual with less than $105,000 income and living in Sydney.
Finder survey: What are the main reasons Australians have hospital insurance?
| Response | |
|---|---|
| To avoid public surgery waiting lists | 44.76% |
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1006 Australians, December 2023
Finder Score - Hospital cover health insurance
Each month we analyse our hospital insurance products and rate each one on price and features. What we end up with is a nice round number out of 10 that helps you compare hospital cover a bit faster.
Before we start scoring, we need to make sure we're comparing like-for-like. Just as it doesn't make sense to compare a bicycle with a Ferrari, it doesn't make sense to compare basic hospital policies to top-tier Gold policies. Each policy is given a price score and feature score. These are then combined to determine each policies's Finder Score.
What are the main types of sterilisation available?
In general, if someone never wants to have children then sterilisation can be an effective option. The two most widely-used methods of voluntary sterilisation are:
Vasectomy
A vasectomy involves a man having his vas deferens severed or sealed. This prevents him from impregnating women with no major impact on sexual functioning. The procedure does not require hospitalisation and can usually be performed in 30 minutes or less.
Tubal ligation
This procedure involves the surgical severing and/or blocking of a woman's fallopian tubes. This prevents the passage of eggs to the uterus and renders pregnancy near impossible.
In Australia, it is illegal to undertake either of these procedures on persons under the age of 18 unless it is a clear medical necessity. Needless to say, no health insurance will cover illegal procedures.
Must read
If you think you might want to undo your vasectomy or tubal ligation in the future, then do not get it at all.
Reversal surgery does not guarantee that you will recover full functionality, and in some cases will be completely ineffective.
How does health insurance handle contraceptive surgery?
Private health funds will cover vasectomies, tubal ligation and hysterectomies in varying ways, depending on the level of cover you have purchased and the conditions of the policy. Things to consider are:
- Your level of cover. Vasectomies fall under the Male reproductive system clinical category and tubal ligation falls under Gynaecology. Every Bronze, Silver and Gold hospital policy must cover both categories when the procedure is done in hospital, but Basic policies don't have to. Check your health insurance policy's Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) or contact your fund to find out if your policy covers it.
- Your hospital cover. Vasectomies do not usually require hospitalisation, but tubal ligation does and hysterectomies in particular require spending several days in hospital. Hospital stays will incur additional costs. To find out how a private health fund covers these and the limits which may apply, look at the hospital cover section of the policy. It is possible that your health fund will cover the surgery itself, but won't cover the hospital stay and related costs.
- What sterilisation covers. Sterilisation typically refers to tubal ligation and vasectomies. Sterilisation is the term to look for if you want a private health fund to cover your contraceptive surgery, and it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the terms and conditions surrounding it.
- What gynaecological services covers. In both the hospital and general cover sections you may find that a policy includes gynaecological services. In hospital cover, the Gynaecology clinical category includes female sterilisation (tubal ligation) as well as procedures like hysterectomy.
- What fertility and infertility services mean. Fertility and infertility services, although related to sterilisation, are not connected to the contraceptive surgeries on offer and do not cover vasectomies or tubal ligation (which are sterilisation) or hysterectomies (which is a gynaecological service).
Can't I just get these types of medical service under Medicare?
You can. Vasectomies and tubal ligation are not emergencies, and Medicare offers relatively good benefits for them.
So, it's not usually worth choosing a fund on the basis of whether or not they cover these. However, going private may still be worth considering if:
- You only want to see a particular practitioner for your vasectomy or tubal ligation.
- You don't want to wait for a bulk-biller to fit you in.
- You are considering an elective hysterectomy for reasons such as a family history of cervical cancer.
How do I claim sterilisation services on health insurance?
To claim a vasectomy or tubal ligation with a private health fund:
- Make sure your chosen doctor is approved by the health fund.
- Book an appointment and confirm that they work with your fund.
- Pay them in a way approved by the insurance plan. This may be by simply swiping a health fund membership card, giving them your details, or paying up-front and then claiming it back later.
Claiming a hysterectomy can be more complicated as it depends on your reason for having the procedure and the methods used by the surgeon.
Bottom line
Having a vasectomy or tubal ligation procedure is easy and relatively inexpensive, but it should also be considered very carefully first. Covering sterilisation with public or private health insurance is simple, but undoing it can be much more complex and expensive.
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 November 2026.
- Extras only: $103
- Basic: $153
- Bronze: $204
- Silver: $269
- Gold: $340
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