Single parent health insurance

Single parent health insurance covers you and all your kids on the same convenient policy, helping you protect your children's health.

As your family grows, you can even add additional children onto your policy for free and it'll usually cover them up until the age of 21, or 25 if they're a full-time uni student.

What is single parent health insurance?

Single parent health insurance refers to a singles health insurance policy that also includes equal cover for one or more dependants. It can help pay the bills for:

Hospital treatment

As well as covering you for everything that Medicare includes, private hospital insurance can let you and your kids get treated for non-urgent conditions quicker, allow you to choose the doctor that treats them and give them access to a private room in a private hospital.

Extras treatment

Childhood is also the time for fixing crooked teeth and imperfect vision. Extras cover gives your kids a head start in both areas. Most extras policies will cover basic dental work, eye exams, glasses and even therapies like physio. Dreading the day your little one needs orthodontics? Higher level policies can help out there.

Ambulances

Unfortunately, ambulance services are not covered by Medicare in Australia (except in Queensland and Tasmania) so you'll need to take out health insurance if you want to avoid expensive fees for you or your child. Luckily, you can get covered for as little as $3 a week with a basic extras policy.

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Does single parent health insurance cover pregnancy?

Yes, all gold tier policies are required to provide pregnancy cover. Keep in mind there's a 12-month waiting period before you can claim for pregnancy. That means you'll have to get pregnancy cover well before you start trying to conceiv, unless your previous policy also covered pregnancy.

If you don't plan to have more children, opt for a policy that excludes pregnancy cover since there's no point paying for a service you're unlikely to need.

What are the waiting periods on a single parent health insurance policy?

Waiting periods for single parent health insurance are generally as follows:

• 2 months for most hospital treatments (except pregnancy which is 12 months) and extras services e.g. general dental, physio and chiro.
• 12 months for pre-existing conditions and some more expensive extras treatments like major dental and orthodontics.

What does single parent health insurance not cover?

Even with comprehensive hospital and extras policies, there are a few services and treatments a single parent health policy will not cover. Some of these include:

• Outpatient blood work and testing. Private hospital cover piggybacks off Medicare, which covers mainly inpatient treatments. Outpatient services like bloodwork and testing aren't typically covered on extras policies either.
• GP and specialist visits. These are two types of outpatient services that Medicare will cover but your private health insurance won't.
• Non-emergency ambulance rides. Most private health insurance policies cover ambulance rides but only for emergency situations. If paramedics or doctors say it's not an emergency, your insurance won't cover you.
• Hospital treatments that Medicare doesn't cover. The Australian healthcare system is designed to get you the health care you really need but not necessarily services you merely want. So neither Medicare nor private health will cover you for many services that aren't medically necessary, like a face lift.

Tips for finding the right single parent health insurance policy for you

If you're a single parent searching for the right private health insurance policy, finding the right place to start can be tricky. To ensure you find the right policy for your circumstances, we’ve jotted down four tips below:

• Clarify your needs. Before choosing a policy, it’s helpful to know what kind of policy you’re looking for. Ask yourself: What’s your and your children’s current health status? What types of services do you expect needing in the next 1 to 5 years? What cost is the most realistic for your current financial situation?
• Determine what level of cover you need. Policies are tiered (Basic, Bronze, Silver or Gold) with increasing coverage and cost. For example, if your children are young and likely to need dental/orthodontics or you want good extras cover, you might lean Silver or Gold. If lower risk, maybe Bronze.
• Double check excess options. Review the excess for the policy you intend to purchase and whether children have the same or different excess. Some policies waive excess for kids.
• Shop around and compare quotes. Obtain multiple quotes from different insurers before signing up for a policy. It’s also important to look beyond the premium and consider the level of coverage the policy offers. The cheapest policy isn’t always the best option if coverage is sparse.

Best sign up deals for December 2025 from Finder Partners

Check the deals below before buying health insurance and you could save money on your premium - or get a reward for signing up.

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Get up to 12 weeks FREE, plus up to $200 gift card Ends 09 December 2025 Available to new members who join by 9 December and maintain hospital and extras cover. Stacks with Finder Rewards on eligible plans. T&Cs apply. Get deal		loading Fetching your data...
Earn up to 120,000 Qantas Points Ends 05 February 2026 Points will be awarded based on your level of cover over 6 months. T&Cs apply. Get deal		loading Fetching your data...
Want up to 8 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? Ends 15 December 2025 Offer ends 15 December 2025. New members only. T&Cs apply. Excludes Basic covers. Get deal		loading Fetching your data...
Want 4 weeks free + a $50 gift card when you join & maintain eligible Extras? Plus, get 2&6 month waits waived. New members only. T&Cs apply. Excludes Healthy Living Extras. Get deal		loading Fetching your data...
Want 6 weeks free plus up to $200 in gift cards? New members only. Excludes Basic covers. T&Cs apply. Get deal		loading Fetching your data...
Join directly on eligible cover & get up to 6 weeks free Ends 07 January 2026 New members only. Ends 07 Jan 2026. 6 weeks free applied over 2 years (3 years for annual payers). T&Cs apply. Get deal		loading Fetching your data...
HCF members can get loyalty rewards and discounts across Australian stores Health fund members can get discounted e-Gift cards from Apple & more. Get deal		loading Fetching your data...
Get up to 6 weeks free Ends 08 December 2025 Plus, 2 & 6 month waits waived on extras when you join on combined cover. For new members only. T&Cs apply. Get deal		loading Fetching your data...
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Frequently asked questions

• Is it cheaper to get single or couples health insurance?

  Whether it is cheaper to get single or couples health insurance depends on the specific plan and provider. Single parent health insurance is tailored for one adult and their dependents, while couples insurance covers two adults, potentially without covering dependents.

• What is single parent health insurance?

  Single parent private health insurance are policies made for single parents with dependent children. These policies tend to be cheaper than a standard two-adult policy, however, shopping around is key to get the best deal. You can take out either a single parent policy for hospital cover, extras cover or both.

• Are my children automatically covered?

  If you purchase a single parent private health insurance policy, children should be automatically covered. Most funds cover children up to age 21, or up to age 25 (sometimes higher) if they are full-time students or financially dependent on you. Some funds have slightly different rules, so it’s good to confirm the age limit and dependency definition.

  If you have another baby later, you’ll usually need to notify your insurer to add the baby to the policy, as they’re not automatically included.

Written by

James Martin

Journalist

James Martin was the insurance editor at Finder. He has written on a range of insurance and finance topics for over 7 years. James often shares his insurance expertise as a media spokesperson and has appeared on Prime 7 News, Insurance News, 7NEWS and The Guardian. An experienced journalist, James' work has featured in publications including The Irish Times, Companies100 and In Business. He holds a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification and a Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification, both of which meet the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio

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James has written 184 Finder guides across topics including:

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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 589 Finder guides across topics including:

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