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What you need to know:
Silver tier hospital policies are the second most comprehensive hospital insurance policies available in Australia (second only to Gold).
The cheapest silver hospital policies start from around
$29
a week*.
Silver hospital insurance covers hospital treatments including dental surgery, back, neck and spine.
*Prices are based on a single person living in Sydney earning less than $90,000 per year.
Pros and cons of Silver health insurance
Pros
A good level of cover for treatment in a private hospital
Includes cover for heart and vascular system related treatments
Many Silver plus policies offer a lot of flexibility around which Gold treatments you need covered
Cons
While cheaper than Gold, Silver cover is still on the pricier end, generally costing around $115+ per month
Silver policies cover some uncommon treatments that not everyone needs cover for
Doesn't cover outpatient services without additional extras cover
Compare more Silver health insurance policies
The following table shows insurers from Finder partners that offer Silver health insurance policies. All prices are based on a single individual with less than $90,000 income and living in Sydney.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
HCF's Hospital Standard Silver Plus ranked in first place out of all of the eligible silver policies we analysed. The not-for-profit health fund's policy costs approximately $30 per week and covers treatments including digestive system, heart and vascular system and back, neck and spine.
HBF's Silver Hospital policy ranked in second place out of all of the eligible silver policies we analysed as part of the awards. The not-for-profit health fund's policy costs approximately $28 per week and covers 30 treatments including heart and vascular system, back, neck and spine, digestive system and dental surgery.
Qantas Silver Hospital policy ranked in third place out of all of the eligible silver policies we analysed as part of the Finder awards. The fund's policy costs around $25 per week and covers a number of treatments including heart and vascular system, digestive system and dental surgery.
What are the hospital health insurance tiers?
Each of the different health insurance tiers has to cover a standardised set of treatments. Here's a quick summary of each tier.
Gold hospital cover
Gold-tier hospital insurance covers all 38 treatments outlined by the Australian government. This includes treatments like joint replacements, pregnancy and insulin pumps, as well as all services covered by Silver-tier policies.
Average premium:
$218.78
a month for a single policy.*
Lowest premium:
$162.44
a month for a single policy.*
Silver hospital cover
Silver-tier hospital insurance covers at least 26 treatments outlined by the Australian government. This includes treatments like dental surgery, lung and chest, and podiatric surgery, as well as all services covered by Bronze-tier policies.
Average cost:
$147.89
a month for a single policy.*
Lowest premium:
$102.5
a month for a single policy.*
Bronze hospital cover
Bronze-tier hospital insurance covers at least 18 treatments outlined by the Australian government. This includes treatments like joint reconstructions, gynaecology, and ear, nose and throat, as well as all services covered by Basic-tier policies.
Average cost:
$98.84
a month for a single policy.
Lowest premium:
$86.34
a month for a single policy.*
Basic hospital cover
Basic-tier hospital insurance isn't required to fully cover any treatments outlined by the Australian government, but it does need to have restricted cover for rehabilitation, hospital psychiatric services and palliative care. Generally, Basic cover is primarily used to avoid the Medicare Levy Surcharge and Lifetime Health Cover loading.
Average cost:
$84.13
a month for a single policy.*
Lowest premium:
$76.9
a month for a single policy.*
*Average prices are updated monthly, in line with Finder's database of health insurance policies. Prices are based on a single individual with less than $90,000 income and living in Sydney with a $750 excess.
If a policy is described as a 'plus' policy, then it will cover the minimum number of treatments for its tier, plus at least 1 treatment from the next tier up. For a full list of the treatments covered by Basic policies, click the link below.
Clinical category
Basic
Bronze
Silver
Gold
Rehabilitation
R
R
R
Hospital psychiatric services
R
R
R
Palliative care
R
R
R
Brain and nervous system
Eye (not cataracts)
Ear, nose and throat
Tonsils, adenoids and grommets
Bone, joint and muscle
Joint reconstructions
Kidney and bladder
Male reproductive system
Digestive system
Hernia and appendix
Gastrointestinal endoscopy
Gynaecology
Miscarriage and termination of pregnancy
Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy for cancer
Pain management
Skin
Breast surgery (medically necessary)
Diabetes management (excluding insulin pumps)
Heart and vascular system
Lung and chest
Blood
Back, neck and spine
Plastic and reconstructive surgery (medically necessary)
Dental surgery
Podiatric surgery (provided by a registered podiatric surgeon)
If you're not planning to start a family in the near future but still want reasonable coverage, then a Silver policy might be a good choice for you. It provides you with a range of benefits but doesn't provide cover for clinical categories you're not going to use, such as pregnancy and birth, and assisted reproductive services. Some sub-groups of people this might include are:
Established singles that want a good level of cover
Couples or partners without children
Families with children that aren't planning to have any more
Older Australians
Silver-tier cover provides a range of benefits that are suitable for older Australians. However, there are some treatments that may be important for some older people that aren't available with all Silver policies. Here are some examples:
Mandatory in Silver cover
Heart and vascular system
Lung and chest
Blood
Back, neck and spine
Not mandatory in Silver cover
Cataracts
Joint replacements
Weight loss surgery
Insulin pumps
People with specific needs
The Silver-tier covers more specialised treatments than Bronze cover, so can be useful for people with more specific medical needs that they need coverage for. Additionally, many providers offer 'Silver plus' policies with cover for a small selection of Gold-tier treatments. These policies add a lot of flexibility for people who want coverage for some Gold-tier treatments, but don't need the highest level of coverage.
Why you can trust Finder's health insurance experts
We're free
Our health insurance engine is completely free to use. You pay the same as buying directly from the health insurer. Better still, we regularly run exclusive deals that you won't find on any other site.
Unlike other comparison sites, we're not owned by an insurer. That means our opinions are our own and you can compare nearly every health fund in Australia on the site (and find a better deal).
We're here to help
Since 2014, we've helped 350,000+ people find health insurance by explaining your options simply. We'll never ask for your number or email to see prices. We're here to help you make a decision.
Silver health insurance: Frequently asked questions
In an effort to make health insurance easier to compare, Australia uses a tier system for hospital cover. Every policy is either Gold, Silver, Bronze or Basic – each tier has a selection of treatments that it must cover.
Silver-tier policies cover 26 government mandated treatments, including heart and vascular treatments, dental surgery in a hospital and podiatric surgery.
'Plus' policies will cover all of the mandatory treatments for a given tier, plus at least 1 treatment from a higher tier. A Silver policy that covers assisted reproductive services as well as pregnancy and birth (both Gold-tier treatments) would be considered a 'Silver plus' policy.
Yes, Silver-tier policies will cover you for pre-existing conditions, once you've served a 12-month waiting period. This is not unique to Silver-tier hospital coverage, though, as all Australian health insurance policies must provide cover for pre-existing conditions after a 12-month waiting period.
Tim Bennett is a Finder insurance 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.
Want to get health cover for grommets? Find out how private health insurance and Medicare costs compare and what you'll be covered for. Choose the option that suits you best.
While private health insurance does not cover plastic surgery that is elective and performed for cosmetic purposes, it does provide cover for a wide range of reconstructive plastic surgeries.
If your doctor has recommended that you receive an insulin pump, check with your private health fund to find out whether the cost will be covered under your policy.
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