5 ways you didn’t know your hospital cover could help
With ahm, your hospital cover can do a lot more than just help look after your bill while you're staying in hospital.
Sponsored by ahm. As the winner of Finder's Provider of the Year - Health Fund, ahm offers straightforward health insurance with hospital and extras cover options that might suit your lifestyle.
Hospital cover is generally something we think about as being for when the worst has happened. With the right policy, it can help with that – and more, too.
Today, we're taking a closer look at some of the ways that hospital cover with ahm can help look after you, both inside and outside of the hospital.
Learn more about health insurance with ahm
1. Accident Override
Depending on your provider, hospital cover is sold at four tiers:
- Basic
- Bronze
- Silver
- Gold
Each of these levels of cover has different types of treatment that you're able to receive benefits for. Policies can also include more services than the minimum requirements of a tier. These are called 'Plus' policies and can vary.
Most hospital covers with ahm also include Accident Override.
This means that if you were injured in an accident that requires immediate medical treatment in hospital, ahm will generally pay benefits towards hospital services that are needed as a result of the accident that are normally restricted or excluded under your policy.^
Policy features like Accident Override could help you get the care you need, when it's most needed.
^ Waiting period of 1 day applies. Accidents are unplanned or unforeseen events resulting in bodily injury that require immediate medical treatment in a hospital. Excludes claims covered by third parties.
2. No excess for kids
When you make a claim on your hospital insurance, you might need to pay an excess. This is the amount you agree to contribute towards the cost of your hospital treatment before your insurer pays benefits.
But with ahm, most hospital covers have no excess fee for dependants.
So if your child gets injured or sick and has to go to hospital for a service that we pay benefits towards, you won't pay an excess.
This can not only help reduce your overall expenses, it can also help reduce stress during a difficult time.
Congratulations, ahm!
ahm was a big winner in the 2026 Finder Provider of the Year Awards.
- Winner, Provider of the year - Health Fund
Learn more about ahm
3. Medically necessary ambulance
Every ahm hospital policy pays benefits towards medically necessary ambulance.
This means that ahm could help with the cost if you need to go to hospital in an ambulance (as long as any limits have not been reached).
Now there is a one-day waiting period. But hopefully you won't need it quite that quickly.
There are some other T&Cs, too. Remember to double-check your cover information; it'll tell you if there are any limits on the number of ambulance services that are covered by your ahm policy.
Also, if you live in Tasmania or Queensland, it's a bit different. These states cover ambulance costs via the state government. If you live in NSW or the ACT, your hospital cover includes a levy to the ambulance service.
Want up to 12 weeks free with ahm?
Until 31 March 2026, when you sign up for eligible combined hospital and extras cover with ahm and maintain your cover, you can receive up to 12 weeks for free as part of your policy.*
- For new members who maintain hospital & extras
- Enjoy 6 weeks free after your first 60 days, and another 6 weeks free after 395 days. See the full T&Cs.
- Plus, any 2 & 6-month waiting periods on extras waived!
You'll get access to a range of features, including:
- Member perks
- Discounts on other ahm insurance products
4. Preventative Health Checks
Of course, prevention is always better than a cure.
So each financial year, ahm also allows you to claim a benefit of up to $50 on a doctor's health check or Healthy Heart check, if you have their Advanced Hospital Gold Cover. Waiting periods apply.
Before you claim, just make sure it isn't already covered by Medicare, your employer or another third party, as you won't be eligible for a benefit from ahm if it is.
Staying ahead of your health could help support your overall wellbeing.
5. Tax time
The Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS) is an extra levy set by the Government, paid by Australian tax payers who earn above a certain income and do not have an appropriate level of private hospital cover. Your MLS rate depends on your income over a full financial year, with thresholds and more info available from the ATO.
If you otherwise have to pay the MLS, holding any eligible ahm hospital cover for a full financial year means you could be exempt.
Even taking out ahm's cheapest basic Hospital cover for a full financial year could help you avoid the surcharge if you have to pay it.
Learn more about hospital cover with ahm
ahm terms and conditions apply
*General - offer for new joins: Available for new members on new memberships who have not held ahm hospital and/or extras cover in the last 30 days from your cover start date (unless a dependant coming off a family cover or single parent family cover). Must join and commence an eligible hospital and extras package or combination cover on or before 31 March 2026. If you join online you must enter the promo code 12WFREEWW at the time of joining to be eligible to receive the offer. If you don't enter the promo code you will not receive the offer. This offer is only available when you join via ahm.com.au, ahm phone or ahm live chat. It is not available when you join through an aggregator. Not available in conjunction with any other ahm or third party offers. Not available for hospital only, extras only, ambulance only or overseas student health cover. Cannot be redeemed for cash. ahm may amend the offer terms and conditions and/or end this offer at any time without notice. Waiting periods may apply to hospital and/or extras cover. Annual limits on extras cover apply. If switching funds, any amount of your annual limits used while you were with your previous fund may be deducted. This offer is not available for ahm and Medibank employees. 12 weeks free: Must maintain eligible hospital and extras cover continuously for 60 days from the cover start date to receive 6 weeks free. If you change to an ineligible cover during this period, 6 weeks free will not be issued. Members must maintain eligible hospital and extras cover continuously and be financial 13 months from the cover start date to be eligible to receive a further 6 weeks free. If members change to an ineligible product during this period, 6 weeks free won't be applied. No other discount will be applied in the second year of membership. Waive any 2 & 6 month waiting periods on extras: Waiver of any 2 & 6 month waiting periods only applies to the extras part of ahm (a) packages, (b) black extras (black 50 saver, black 50, black 60, black 70 & black 70 boost) and (c) any choosable extras combination when combined with any hospital cover. The extras part of other combinations do not have 2 & 6 month waiting periods. Please note other waiting periods may still apply to your cover. If switching funds, any waiting periods you've already served for comparable hospital or extras will generally be recognised if you join ahm within 30 days of leaving your previous fund. If you're switching from another fund and you've used any of your current limits (at that fund), that will count towards your annual limits with us. If you've reached your limits at your previous fund you may not be able to claim straight away on extras.
Full T&C's are also available here: https://ahm.com.au/o/12wfww