Singles health insurance is designed to cover the healthcare needs of one person. Despite the name, it isn’t just for people who are single – even if you're in a relationship, you can take out a singles policy tailored to your individual needs.
Taking out a singles health cover helps with the costs of treatments and services that Medicare doesn’t pay for. Depending on the type of policy you choose, it can reduce your out-of-pocket expenses for everything from hospital treatment to routine care.
With Savvy, you can compare a range of health insurance options in one place, making it easier to choose cover that suits your health needs and budget.
Hospital insurance cover options for singles
Hospital cover helps with the cost of treatment if you're admitted to hospital as a private patient. There are four tiers of hospital cover – basic, bronze, silver and gold – each offering a different set of covered treatments and services. Some of the common services covered include:
- Hospital admission as a private patient in a public or private hospital, depending on your level of cover. You may also be eligible for a private room, subject to availability.
- Cover for the cost of surgeries and procedures such as heart surgery, lung surgery, chest surgery, joint replacements, joint reconstructions, dental surgeries, back surgery and colonoscopies.
- Medical fees during your stay, including doctors’ fees, anaesthetists’ fees, theatre fees and other hospital charges.
- Tests and examinations like blood tests, x-rays, MRIs, CAT scans and performed while you are an in-patient.
- Certain inpatient mental health or allied health services, such as treatment from psychologists or psychiatrists.
- Ambulance cover, although not all policies include this, and some states and territories provide free or subsidised ambulance services.
Extras insurance cover options for singles
Extras cover helps with the cost of everyday health services you receive outside of a hospital, such as routine and preventive care. Most insurers offer different levels of extras cover, with higher-tier policies generally including a broader range of services and higher annual limits. Extras cover may include:
- Optical (glasses, contact lenses)
- General and major dental
- Orthodontics
- Physiotherapy
- Chiropractic care
- Podiatry
- Psychology
- Speech therapy
- Acupuncture
- Massage therapy
- Hearing aids and hearing tests
Why compare health insurance policies through Savvy?
How much does health insurance for singles cost?
The cost of singles health insurance can vary significantly based on several factors, including the type of cover (hospital, extras or combined), the level of cover and any excess you agree to pay (for hospital cover).
To give you a clearer idea of what to expect, here’s a snapshot of current quotes for a 35-year-old earning a base tier income and living in Adelaide. We’ve listed the cheapest hospital-only, extras-only and combined policies available for this profile, along with the most expensive hospital and extras option:
| Type of cover | Policy level | Excess | Cost per fortnight | Cost per month | Cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital only | Basic | $750 | $36 | $78 | $934 |
| Extras only | Low extras | – | $7 | $15 | $179 |
| Hospital + extras | Basic hospital + low extras | $750 | $46 | $101 | $1,215 |
| Hospital + extras | Gold hospital + high extras | $750 | $183 | $397 | $4,761 |
| Quotes sourced from Compare Club in July 2025, based on a 35-year-old earning less than $101,000 and residing in Adelaide. | |||||
As you can see, in this scenario health insurance for singles can range from less than $15 a month for basic excess cover to hundreds for a top-tier combined policy, giving a range of options depending on what you’re after and what you can afford.
Keep in mind that prices will vary based on your personal circumstances and the insurer you choose, so it’s a good idea to compare policies carefully to find one that fits your needs and budget. Government rebates and age-based discounts may also help lower your premium, depending on your income and age.
Health insurance providers you can compare with us
We’ve partnered with Compare Club to bring you a range of health insurance policies to compare side by side.
Health insurance rebates for singles
The Australian Government offers support to help reduce the cost of private health insurance. These include:
Private health insurance rebate
If you hold private health insurance, you may be eligible for a rebate from the Australian Government. The amount you receive depends on your income, age and family status. For singles, the income thresholds and rebate percentages from 1 July 2025 to 31 March 2026 are:
| Income tier | Income range | Under 65 | Age 65–69 | Age 70+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base tier | $101,000 or less | 24.29% | 28.34% | 32.39% |
| Tier 1 | $101,001 – $118,000 | 16.19% | 20.24% | 24.29% |
| Tier 2 | $118,001 – $158,000 | 8.10% | 12.14% | 16.19% |
| Tier 3 | $158,001+ | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Source: Australian Taxation Office | ||||
You can claim this rebate as a reduction in your health insurance premium or as a tax offset when you lodge your tax return.
Age-based discount
If you're between 18 and 29 years old and take out your own private health insurance, you may be eligible for an age-based discount of up to 10%. This discount also applies if you’re part of a couples or family policy, though in that case, it’s averaged across the insured adults. However, it does not apply if you're covered as a dependent on someone else’s policy.
The earlier you take out cover, the higher your discount. It can also be transferred if you switch insurers, provided your new policy supports the age-based discount. You can retain the discount until you turn 41, as long as you continue to hold an eligible policy.
Here’s how the discount is applied based on your age when you first take out cover:
| Age when policy is first purchased | Discount applied |
|---|---|
| 18–25 | 10% |
| 26 | 8% |
| 27 | 6% |
| 28 | 4% |
| 29 | 2% |
The discount begins to reduce by 2% each year from your 41st birthday, phased out entirely by age 45.
Is private health insurance compulsory for singles?
Private health insurance isn’t compulsory in Australia, and many people rely solely on Medicare. However, having private hospital cover can give you more choice over your treatment, including shorter wait times and access to private hospitals. You might also face extra costs later on – such as additional taxes or higher premiums – if you don’t, due to government initiatives that encourage people to take out private hospital cover. These include:
Medicare levy surcharge (MLS)
If you’re a single person earning more than $101,000 a year and don’t have an appropriate level of hospital cover, you’ll likely have to pay the Medicare levy surcharge. This is an extra tax of between 1% and 1.5%, depending on your income. You can avoid paying the MLS by taking out a complying hospital policy with an excess of $750 or less.
Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) loading
The Lifetime Health Cover loading encourages people to take out hospital insurance earlier in life. If you don’t hold private hospital cover by 1 July after you turn 31, you’ll pay an additional 2% on top of your premium for every year you’re without cover. For example, if you take out hospital insurance at age 40, you’ll pay 20% more than someone who took it out before age 31. This loading is capped at 70% and lasts for 10 continuous years of holding hospital cover, after which it’s removed.
Singles health insurance pros and cons
Pros
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Peace of mind
Taking out singles health insurance can offer greater peace of mind knowing that, should an injury or illness occur that's covered under your policy, you can claim back part or all of the cost of your treatment.
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Choose your doctor and hospital
With a private hospital insurance policy, you may be able to choose the hospital at which you receive your treatment and the doctor who provides it (subject to availability and other terms and conditions).
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Skip public hospital waiting lists
Public hospitals often have long wait times for elective procedures. Private health insurance may help you access treatment sooner through the private system.
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Tailor cover to your needs
Singles policies let you choose cover that suits your lifestyle and health needs, unlike couples policies where benefits are often balanced for two people.
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Avoid paying the Medicare levy surcharge
By taking out appropriate private hospital insurance, you won’t have to pay the MLS for the period you have cover.
Cons
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Not everything is covered
Depending on your level of cover, your policy may exclude certain treatments or procedures, leaving you to pay the full cost. There may also be gap payments if your policy doesn’t cover 100% of the cost.
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Ongoing cost to budget for
Health insurance is an ongoing expense that needs to be factored into your budget. Higher-level policies with broader coverage and more inclusions can be particularly costly.
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Subject to waiting periods
When you first take out cover, you'll usually need to serve waiting periods before you can claim for certain services.
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Can’t add people to the policy
If your circumstances change – for example, you have a baby or move in with a partner – you’ll need to switch to a couples or family policy.
