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Compare health insurance you’ll actually want to use
30+ Australian health funds compared in a jiffy, we won't even ask for your phone number (cause we all hate those calls).
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I'm Tim, your insurance expert.
Here to help you find the right cover for you!
Step 1/2 - About your cover
Which state do you live in?
QLD
NSW
ACT
VIC
TAS
SA
WA
NT
What's your age?
Depending on your age, you may be eligible for an
aged-based discount. This is used to estimate your
rebate.
Under 65
65 - 69
70 or older
What's your household's taxable income?
This is the combined income you and your spouse earn before tax. It's needed to calculate the correct Australian government rebate.
$93,000 and under
$93,001 to $108,000
$108,001 to $144,000
$144,001 and over
What kind of health insurance do you need?
Combined (Extras + Hospitals)
Extras
Hospital
What level of hospital coverage would you like?
You can change this at any time later.
Legend
Covered
Restricted cover, You may be partially covered for
this category.
Not covered. Optional for insurer to include.
*Prices updated July 2024, in line with Finder's database of health insurance policies. Prices reflect the cheapest available for a single individual with less than $97,000 income and living in Sydney with a $750 excess.
What extras cover do you need? (Optional)
Select as many as you want or move to the next step
Preventative & general dental
Major dental & implants
Optical
Physiotherapy
Podiatry
Non-PBS pharmaceuticals
Chiropractic
Emergency ambulance
Remedial massage
Email me my results (optional)
To get a copy of your results for later, add your email below
What does private health insurance cover that Medicare doesn't?
Private health insurance gives you access to the same hospital services covered by Medicare – but you get access to your own doctor, private room and waiting times are significantly shorter.
Extras insurance cover does cover healthcare costs that aren't typically covered by the public healthcare system, such as dental, physiotherapy and optical.
If you go to a private hospital as a private patient, Medicare will pay 75% of the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) fee. Your health insurance covers the other 25%, plus accommodation costs and theatre fees. Sometimes there's a gap between the MBS fee and the total cost of your procedure. You may need to pay this unless your health insurance has no gap cover.
Private hospital insurance covers all the same treatments as Medicare. The difference lies in the standard of care. It's kind of like choosing between a dependable budget car or something flashier. Both will get you from A to B but one is a faster and nicer place to be.
I've always been a big proponent of private health cover - and geez I was glad I had it when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021. With any unexpected serious illness, the type of treatment - and crucially the speed of it - could make all the difference.
Health insurance is heavily regulated in Australia, which makes it easier to compare health insurance policies like-for-like. That said, funds still have different products and prices, so it's still important to make sure you're getting the right cover for you and your family.
Hospital cover helps pay for a range of hospital treatments in a private hospital. This can include joint reconstructions, hernia operations and childbirth.
Extras Cover
Extras cover helps towards out-of-hospital healthcare. This includes trips to the dentist, eye care by an optometrist, physiotherapists and natural therapies.
Health insurance rebate
The private health insurance rebate makes health insurance cheaper for most people. Your exact rebate is determined by your age and income.
Getting health insurance had been on my to-do list for the longest time, but I found it very confusing. I realised it was actually split into two parts - hospital cover (anything in the hospital and the more expensive part) and extras cover (for the dentist and those new specs). I've actually switched policies 3 times in the last 4 years to take advantage of the sign up offers funds give when you join. I've saved around $800 so far.
Private health insurance can help you cover the cost of medical care in a private hospital (hospital cover) and help pay for out-of-hospital medical costs that aren't covered under Medicare (extras cover). Most private health insurance policies also cover the cost of emergency ambulance transport, which isn't covered by Medicare in most states.
When you take out a private health policy, you have the option of going to a public or private hospital. If you go to a private hospital, or if you're treated as a private patient in a public hospital, your health fund will help cover the cost of care. The main advantages of using the private system are that you can choose your own doctor, get access to improved facilities like a private room, and have access to shorter waiting lists for important surgery.
Hospital cover is available in the following tiers; basic, bronze, silver and gold. Each covers a different list of treatments with gold being the most comprehensive hospital policy avaialable.
In the public system, prices are set according to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and Medicare pays 100% of the cost. You won't be left out of pocket, but you won't get your choice of hospital, doctor or appointment time either. In the private system, prices are usually higher than those listed in the Medicare Benefits Schedule and Medicare will only pay 75% of what it would have, had you gone public. Your private health insurance covers at least the remaining 25%. If your private doctor charges more than a doctor in the public system, which is usually the case, you'll have to cover the extra expense. Remember, with hospital insurance, you'll also have to serve waiting periods. For example, if you have a pre-existing medical condition, you'll have to hold your policy for at least a year before your cover would chip in towards the cost of treatment.
Extras insurance helps towards non-hospital-related healthcare, such as dental work, new glasses and physiotherapy appointments. Usually, an extras policy will pay a percentage of your bill – this could be anywhere from 50% to 90%. In other cases, they will cover the whole bill, up to a certain amount. Extras policies also have waiting periods. For example, you often need to hold a policy for a year before you can claim for orthodontics.
Waiting periods apply to both extras and hospital policies - you'll need to serve these before claiming a benefit. Some extras policies let you skip some waiting periods.
Extras benefit limits place a cap on the amount you can claim. They typically reset every 12 months. A higher limit may mean a more expensive policy, but not always.
Health insurance is community rated, which means you don't have to pay more for pre-existing conditions and the price you pay isn't impacted by your age.
However, here are a few things that can impact your quote:
Your excess or co-payment. When you take out insurance, you can agree to take some responsibility for the health cover costs in return for lower premiums – this is your excess. You only pay it if you go to hospital. The higher your excess, the lower your premiums will be.
Your location. If you live in a regional area of Australia, your insurance might cost you more due to poorer access to health facilities as well as potential travel and accommodation expenses.
Which fund you choose. Some funds and policies are better value than others, charging less for similar cover. If you take the time to compare health insurance, you can find the cheapest health cover for your needs.
People from countries that Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with can access some treatment from Medicare. If you don't have an RHCA, you'll need Overseas Visitor Health Cover. As of 2021, Australia has an RHCA with Belgium, Finland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Ireland, Slovenia, Sweden and the UK. Traveling to Australia without coverage could result in huge medical bills if you are sick or injured.
There are dozens of health funds in Australia. Most are open, meaning that they are available for anyone to join. Others are restrcited and only available to certain people, such as doctors, teachers or police. Here is a list of most of the health insurance funds in Australia.
There are just over 13.5 million Australians with private health insurance. That's over half (54%) of the country's population. Based on recent health insurance data, 44.5% of Australians have purchased hospital cover, and 53.8% of Australians have purchased extras cover.
Thanks to the most recent PHI reforms, which have introduced Basic, Bronze, Silver and Gold tier policies, finding cover for a specific service is easier than ever. Every tier is required to provide cover for specific services so you can check out what is included in each and select the one that covers the treatment you require. Some services often performed out of hospital are only covered when performed in a hospital, like the cost of MRI scans. Our guides for specific treatments have more details:
If you cancel your health insurance, you won't be entitled to the services you would have otherwise had access to. This means you would have to rely on the medical services provided by Medicare. Note that cancelling your health insurance may also have tax implications, depending on your circumstances.
When you switch health funds you generally won't have to re-serve waiting periods if you had similar or equivalent cover with another provider. However, if you're upgrading or didn't previously have cover for a service that your new policy includes, you will probably have to serve a waiting period.
Tim Bennett is a Finder insurance & utilities expert. For over 10 years he's reported on news, politics, finance and other topics as a journalist and radio presenter. Tim's roles have included radio news reader and breakfast at the ABC, news producer for SBS and producer for Fairfax Media. Tim regularly appears as a health insurance expert on programs like Sunrise and SBS news, as well as in the Australian, The Daily Telegraph, The Courier Mail and more. See full bio
Tim's expertise
Tim has written 115 Finder guides across topics including:
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Could you kindly break down the cost for me per person.
For myself I need a very basic Health insurance plan 33 year old male.
For my Wife something that will cover pregnancy, scans etc should that be our luck to fall pregnant.
And then something for a minor , 3 year old that would cover xrays scans, doctor visits etc.
Finder
SarahJuly 2, 2024Finder
Hi Julian,
The premium is calculated based on all of you as a family. Usually, it doesn’t cost any extra to add a child to a policy. Things like GP visits are generally covered by Medicare and most doctors bulk bill for under 16s, meaning these visits have no cost.
As for you and your wife, as you have different needs, you could look at taking our two seperate policies: yours basic, hers more fully featured to cover pregnancy etc. However it is often cheaper to get a couples policy.
Note that extra are optional, you may want to go without extras cover to reduce the cost of your premiums.
Hope this helps!
HtaMay 21, 2024
Hi, could I please ask which insurance covers HPV treatments, including wart treatment, pap smear and other HPV related treatments if needed?
Finder
SarahMay 24, 2024Finder
Hi Hta,
All of these treatments would be managed through a GP, which is linked to Medicare. You would need to go to your GP or a sexual health clinic for treatment, and you would be eligible for Medicare rebates if you’re entitled to Medicare Benefits.
Health insurance could provide some cover if you ever need day surgery related to HPV, but you would still likely be out of pocket (hospital excess, gap payments and doctor’s fees) even with insurance. So if that was your primary reason for taking out health insurance, the financial benefit might not be enough incentive, considering the high cost of premiums.
Of course this is a personal decision, and you have to consider things like your income and the medicare surcharge (more info here if you’re not aware).
Finder
TimMarch 6, 2024Finder
Hi Jason, thanks for your question.
Health insurance premiums will be going up by 3.03% on average in 2024. The government has to approve these increases each year – this year took a little longer for that to happen. The price rise should happen on April 1 2024.
Be sure to check the news article I linked – it’s got the breakdown of how much each health fund is increasing premiums. 3.03% is just an average across all funds – your fund will probably be slight more or less than that.
Have a good one!
Tim
JohnSeptember 4, 2021
Hi,
Are there any such plans that cover foreign hospital treatments for people seeking treatment for cancer? I have pre-existing medical conditions and looking for health cover for overseas treatment. Please advice.
Finder
JamesSeptember 12, 2021Finder
Hi John,
Unfortunately, most domestic health insurance policies don’t offer cover for treatment needed outside of Australia. However, travel insurance that specifically covers overseas medical expenses may help.
Make sure you read each policy’s Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) with care so that you know what cover is available.
Also, check to see if there are any reciprocal healthcare agreements in place between Australia and each country you’re intending to visit.
Regards,
James
Finder
JamesSeptember 10, 2021Finder
Hi John,
Unfortunately, most domestic health insurance policies don’t offer cover for treatment needed outside of Australia. However, travel insurance (https://www.finder.com.au/travel-insurance) that specifically covers overseas medical expenses may help. Make sure you read each policy’s Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) with care, so that you know what cover is available.
Also, check to see if there are any reciprocal healthcare agreements in place between Australia and each country you’re intending to visit.
Regards,
James
RobertAugust 28, 2021
I would like a real time answer to my request for cover .
Finder
JamesAugust 30, 2021Finder
Hi Robert,
Can which cover you are referring to, please? I’ll wait for your response. If possible, please return to our website and click on the chat button found on the lower right corner of our to chat with us in real-time.
Moreover, please feel free as well to get in touch with the specific insurer you have chosen. They should be able to provide you with more details of the cover you’re interested in.
Regards,
James
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Could you kindly break down the cost for me per person.
For myself I need a very basic Health insurance plan 33 year old male.
For my Wife something that will cover pregnancy, scans etc should that be our luck to fall pregnant.
And then something for a minor , 3 year old that would cover xrays scans, doctor visits etc.
Hi Julian,
The premium is calculated based on all of you as a family. Usually, it doesn’t cost any extra to add a child to a policy. Things like GP visits are generally covered by Medicare and most doctors bulk bill for under 16s, meaning these visits have no cost.
As for you and your wife, as you have different needs, you could look at taking our two seperate policies: yours basic, hers more fully featured to cover pregnancy etc. However it is often cheaper to get a couples policy.
Note that extra are optional, you may want to go without extras cover to reduce the cost of your premiums.
Hope this helps!
Hi, could I please ask which insurance covers HPV treatments, including wart treatment, pap smear and other HPV related treatments if needed?
Hi Hta,
All of these treatments would be managed through a GP, which is linked to Medicare. You would need to go to your GP or a sexual health clinic for treatment, and you would be eligible for Medicare rebates if you’re entitled to Medicare Benefits.
Health insurance could provide some cover if you ever need day surgery related to HPV, but you would still likely be out of pocket (hospital excess, gap payments and doctor’s fees) even with insurance. So if that was your primary reason for taking out health insurance, the financial benefit might not be enough incentive, considering the high cost of premiums.
Of course this is a personal decision, and you have to consider things like your income and the medicare surcharge (more info here if you’re not aware).
Hi Jason, thanks for your question.
Health insurance premiums will be going up by 3.03% on average in 2024. The government has to approve these increases each year – this year took a little longer for that to happen. The price rise should happen on April 1 2024.
Be sure to check the news article I linked – it’s got the breakdown of how much each health fund is increasing premiums. 3.03% is just an average across all funds – your fund will probably be slight more or less than that.
Have a good one!
Tim
Hi,
Are there any such plans that cover foreign hospital treatments for people seeking treatment for cancer? I have pre-existing medical conditions and looking for health cover for overseas treatment. Please advice.
Hi John,
Unfortunately, most domestic health insurance policies don’t offer cover for treatment needed outside of Australia. However, travel insurance that specifically covers overseas medical expenses may help.
Make sure you read each policy’s Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) with care so that you know what cover is available.
Also, check to see if there are any reciprocal healthcare agreements in place between Australia and each country you’re intending to visit.
Regards,
James
Hi John,
Unfortunately, most domestic health insurance policies don’t offer cover for treatment needed outside of Australia. However, travel insurance (https://www.finder.com.au/travel-insurance) that specifically covers overseas medical expenses may help. Make sure you read each policy’s Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) with care, so that you know what cover is available.
Also, check to see if there are any reciprocal healthcare agreements in place between Australia and each country you’re intending to visit.
Regards,
James
I would like a real time answer to my request for cover .
Hi Robert,
Can which cover you are referring to, please? I’ll wait for your response. If possible, please return to our website and click on the chat button found on the lower right corner of our to chat with us in real-time.
Moreover, please feel free as well to get in touch with the specific insurer you have chosen. They should be able to provide you with more details of the cover you’re interested in.
Regards,
James