Hospital tiers, extras and combined cover, explained in plain English. Understand the surcharge, the loading and the rebate, then find the right level for your budget.
4
Tiers: Basic to Gold
1 Apr
When premiums rise
2 min
To know your options
Hospital, extras, combined and ambulance. Here's what each one does and who it suits.
Covers: Treatment as a private patient in hospital. Sold in Basic, Bronze, Silver and Gold tiers based on what's included.
Best for: Avoiding public waiting lists, choosing your doctor, and side-stepping the Medicare Levy Surcharge.
Covers: Out-of-hospital costs like dental, optical, physio, chiro and remedial massage, up to annual limits.
Best for: Anyone with regular dental, optical or allied-health expenses.
Covers: Bundles a hospital tier and an extras pack into a single policy and one premium.
Best for: All-round cover in one place, usually the simplest option for families.
Covers: Cover for ambulance transport and call-out fees. Already free in some states, but not others.
Best for: Everyone. Check whether your state covers you before paying twice.
Health cover has a few uniquely Australian rules. These are the ones worth understanding before you compare.
Earn over the threshold without hospital cover and the ATO adds a 1–1.5% surcharge, often more than a basic policy costs.
Don't take hospital cover before 1 July after you turn 31 and a 2% loading is added for every year you wait, up to 70%.
An income-tested rebate reduces your premium. Claim it as a lower premium or at tax time.
Gold covers everything; Silver, Bronze and Basic include progressively less. Match the tier to your life stage.
A higher excess lowers your premium. You only pay it if you're admitted to hospital.
Premiums and ambulance rules vary by state, and younger people can lock in lower lifetime pricing.
It's optional, but hospital cover can help you avoid public waiting lists, choose your own doctor, and avoid the Medicare Levy Surcharge if you earn above the threshold. Extras cover helps with everyday costs like dental and optical.
If your income is above the surcharge threshold and you don't hold an appropriate level of hospital cover, the ATO applies an extra 1% to 1.5% surcharge at tax time. For many people, a basic hospital policy costs less than the surcharge.
If you don't take out hospital cover by 1 July following your 31st birthday, a 2% loading is added to your premium for each year you delay, up to a maximum of 70%. Taking cover earlier locks in a lower lifetime price.
Hospital cover pays towards treatment when you're admitted to hospital as a private patient. Extras (general treatment) cover helps with out-of-hospital services like dental, optical and physio. Many people combine both in one policy.
Tell us the cover you need and who it's for. Takes about two minutes, costs nothing, and there's no obligation to switch.
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