5 things to look for in a private health insurer in 2026
Switching providers or taking out health insurance for the first time? You need to know what to look for.
Sponsored by Latrobe Health Services. Offering a range of hospital cover and extras, Latrobe Health helps you take care of your health. To find out more, visit the Latrobe Health website today.
Making sure you've got the right health cover is important.
So we've put together a guide to some of the key considerations for your future health insurer.
Learn more about Latrobe Health
1. Broad range of coverage
First things first. What sort of cover do you want?
It's worth having a think about your potential future healthcare needs, too.
Once you've decided, you'll need to find an insurer that offers those types of cover.
Not all health insurers offer all of the same types of insurance; their range can vary quite a lot.
Because you might have a broad range of healthcare needs, it's important to look for an insurer that provides a broad range of insurance options.
For example, Latrobe Health offers:
- Basic, Bronze and Silver levels of hospital cover
- Basic Extras
- Core Families Extras
- Core Essential Extras
- Core Complete Extras
- Premier Family Extras
- Premier Singles and Couples Extras
- Combined Hospital and Extras cover
You can see more information about cover specifics on the tables at the bottom of this page.
2. Bonus inclusions for hospital cover
Now, obviously, no one wants to get into an accident and have to go to the hospital.
But if the worst does happen, it's important to have the right cover in place.
Hospital cover with Latrobe Health includes Accident Advantage.
Accident Advantage provides you with Gold-level hospital cover after an accident for 90 days.
It's valid when you go to an emergency department or see a doctor within 72 hours of an accident.
This means that you can get the standard of care and treatment you need, while still paying for a lower level of cover.
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Shane Warne Legacy helps provide health checks to Australians across the country.
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- Blood pressure
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3. Benefit bonuses
You can enjoy a little extra to spend on extras when you have eligible combined hospital and extras cover with Latrobe Health.
Get up to $200 Benefit Bonus per membership to spend on extras each year with Premier Extras and hospital cover.
Just make sure you visit the Latrobe Health website to see all of the relevant T&Cs.
4. Awards
Keeping an eye out for awards can also be a handy way to sort the wheat from the chaff when you're selecting a provider.
Award wins and nominations can be indicative of the quality of customer service, ease of product use and overall product standards.
In the 2025 Finder Customer Service Awards, Latrobe Health was highlighted in three separate categories.
- Winner: Easiest to Claim Health Insurance
- Highly Commended: Most Loved Brand
- Highly Commended: Most Trusted Brand
5. Special offers through providers
Sometimes, your health insurer will also provide additional bonuses as part of your policy.
This might take the form of discounts or additional inclusions with extras providers.
For example, Latrobe Health provides exclusive discounts through Specsavers and OPSM.
Keeping an eye out for features like these can give you an edge in your overall policy, from one provider to another.
Learn more about getting cover with Latrobe Health Services
Get a quote with Latrobe Health
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