Private health insurance in Australia
About half of all Australians have private health insurance. Private health insurance funds may cover costs for your treatment as a private patient in private or public hospitals and can include some services that Medicare does not cover, such as dental care, most optical care and ambulance transport.
In Australia there are a range of health insurers and different types of health cover to choose from.
The Australian Government is seeking to achieve a better balance between public and private sector involvement in healthcare by encouraging people to take out private health insurance, while it also preserves Medicare as the universal safety net.
The government offers a rebate of up to 30% of the cost of most kinds of private hospital insurance and lifetime health cover to reward people who take out insurance and keep it.
If you wish to purchase private health insurance, it is important to compare different funds. The cost and type of cover can vary widely.
Extras cover
You can also choose to purchase ancillary cover, also known as extras, that may offer you cover for services out of hospital that are generally not provided under Medicare. These can include:
- Dental treatment
- Ambulance
- Chiropractic treatment
- Home nursing
- Podiatry
- Physiotherapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech therapy
- Glasses and contact lenses
Private health care premium examples
Family of two adults and two dependants
Hospital cover only: AU$120 to AU$150 per month
Hospital and extras cover: AU$200 to AU$300 per month
Two adults
Hospital cover only: AU$80 to AU$120 per month
Hospital and extras cover: AU$120 to AU$200 per month
Single adult
Hospital cover only: AU$40 to AU$80 per month
Hospital and extras cover: AU$100 to AU$150 per month
