--- title: "Average health insurance cost in Australia in 2026 | Chec..." description: "Combined hospital and extras cover for a single person averages $3,632 a year in 2026, an unweighted mean across published policies. Premiums rose 4.41% from 1" lang: en-AU json-ld: | { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "headline": "Average health insurance cost in Australia in 2026", "description": "Combined hospital and extras cover for a single person averages $3,632 a year in 2026, an unweighted mean across published policies. Premiums rose 4.41% from 1 April, the largest increase since 2017. Average costs by policy type, hospital tier, age, household type and state, built from PrivateHealth.gov.au's full pricing dataset.", "image": [ "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1631815588090-d4bfec5b1ccb?auto=format&fit=crop&w=2000&q=80" ], "datePublished": "2026-07-17T00:00:00+00:00", "dateModified": "2026-07-17T02:01:39.442926+00:00", "author": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "CheckRate" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "CheckRate" }, "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://checkrate.com.au/average-health-insurance" } } --- [CheckRate ](/) [Library](/articles) Back insurance # Average health insurance cost in Australia in 2026 Combined hospital and extras cover for a single person averages $3,632 a year in 2026, an unweighted mean across published policies. Premiums rose 4.41% from 1 April, the largest increase since 2017. Average costs by policy type, hospital tier, age, household type and state, built from PrivateHealth.gov.au's full pricing dataset. 14 min read 17 July 2026 Updated 17 July 2026 Fact checked In this article 1. [What is the average listed health insurance premium in Australia?](#what-is-the-average-listed-health-insurance-premium-in-australia) 2. [How much do Basic, Bronze, Silver and Gold health insurance policies cost?](#how-much-do-basic-bronze-silver-and-gold-health-insurance-policies-cost) 3. [How much do hospital, extras and combined health insurance policies cost?](#how-much-do-hospital-extras-and-combined-health-insurance-policies-cost) 4. [How health insurance costs vary by age and household type](#how-health-insurance-costs-vary-by-age-and-household-type) 5. [How much have health insurance premiums increased in Australia?](#how-much-have-health-insurance-premiums-increased-in-australia) 6. [How health insurance premiums compare with wages and rebates](#how-health-insurance-premiums-compare-with-wages-and-rebates) Key figures $3,632 Average combined cover cost for a single person, **2026 rates** 4.41% Approved 2026 premium rise, **effective 1 April 2026** +40% Cumulative premium growth, **compounded approved increases 2017 to 2026** 45.8% Share of Australians with hospital cover, **March 2026** Combined hospital and extras cover for a single person averaged **$3,632** a year in 2026, based on rates that took effect on 1 April 2026. Couples paid **$7,154** on average, and families **$8,415**. Premiums rose 4.41% this round, the largest single increase since 2017, adding to a run of rises that has pushed average premiums up by roughly 40% over the past decade. Section 01 The national average ## What is the average listed health insurance premium in Australia? Combined hospital and extras cover for a single person had a mean listed premium of **$3,632** a year, or $303 a month, in 2026. The equivalent mean listed premiums were **$7,154** a year, or $596 a month, for a couple; **$6,605** a year, or $550 a month, for a single-parent family; and **$8,415** a year, or $701 a month, for a family covering two adults and dependants. These figures are published list prices before the Australian Government Rebate and before any Lifetime Health Cover loading. They are not weighted by membership, state population, policy selection or the number of people who hold each product. The averages are calculated across published prices for products open to new members in the PrivateHealth.gov.au pricing dataset. The dataset includes more than 70,000 product, state and excess combinations across hospital, extras and combined policies. Products no longer open to new members are excluded because they are not available to someone comparing new policies. The mean sits above the median for both figures shown here, which indicates a smaller number of higher-priced policies pull the average upward. For single-person combined cover, the mean listed premium is $3,632 a year, and the median is $3,454, a difference of $178. For hospital-only cover, the gap is wider. Across all household types, the mean listed premium is **$4,496**, and the median is $4,014. This reflects a broad spread of prices, from lower-cost Basic products for a single person to higher-priced Gold family policies. Average annual health insurance cost in Australia, by household type and cover type Mean annual premium across all published products, state and excess combinations, 1 April 2026 rates. List prices before the government rebate. Official data Household type Hospital only Extras only Combined cover **Single** $2,536 $1,016 $3,632 Couple $4,831 $1,952 $7,154 Single-parent family $4,398 $1,797 $6,605 Family (couple + dependants) $5,581 $2,439 $8,415 Averages are calculated across every state, excess level and hospital tier published for each household type, so they blend cheap Basic policies with comprehensive Gold cover. Actual cost for any one household depends on the tier and excess chosen. **Source:** PrivateHealth.gov.au product pricing dataset, 2026 published rates, retrieved 1 July 2026. ![CheckRate](/__l5e/assets-v1/7bc4597d-01a6-41ce-b2ee-e3271c8e8b60/checkrate-logo.png) Single $3,632 a year, combined cover Equivalent to about $70 a week before any rebate. The lowest-cost household category among the combined policies analysed. Couple $7,154 a year, combined cover Just under double the singles rate, reflecting two adults on the one policy rather than a per-person surcharge. Family $8,415 a year, combined cover The most expensive household category on average. Many funds do not charge separately for each dependent child, although family policies still cost more than couple policies. About the state figures used in this article PrivateHealth.gov.au's pricing data has no separate ACT price code, so ACT is grouped with NSW in this analysis. That is a methodological grouping, not evidence that every insurer prices NSW and ACT policies identically. All other states and the Northern Territory are shown separately. Cost also depends on where a policy is bought. Hospital-only cover for a single person averages **$1,804** a year in the Northern Territory, the cheapest jurisdiction, rising to $2,822 in Victoria, the most expensive. That is a gap of more than $1,000 a year. It is not a like-for-like comparison of identical policies, though, since the mix of funds, tiers and excess levels on offer varies from state to state. Average hospital-only health insurance cost for a single person in Australia, by state Mean annual premium across all excess levels and hospital tiers, 1 April 2026 rates. Official data State Relative cost Avg annual vs cheapest Northern Territory $1,804 $1,804 baseline Western Australia $2,344 $2,344 +$540 South Australia $2,619 $2,619 +$815 NSW / ACT $2,663 $2,663 +$859 Tasmania $2,704 $2,704 +$900 Queensland $2,803 $2,803 +$999 Victoria $2,822 **$2,822** +$1,018 **Note:** Figures are for hospital-only cover for a single person, blended across all tiers and excess levels available in each state. Some of the gap reflects differences in the mix of tiers and funds available in each state, not a single uniform price difference. **Source:** PrivateHealth.gov.au product pricing dataset, 2026 published rates, retrieved 1 July 2026. ![CheckRate](/__l5e/assets-v1/7bc4597d-01a6-41ce-b2ee-e3271c8e8b60/checkrate-logo.png) Section 02 Basic, Bronze, Silver, Gold ## How much do Basic, Bronze, Silver and Gold health insurance policies cost? Hospital-only cover had a mean listed premium of **$2,607** a year for Basic policies, **$3,079** for Bronze, **$4,739** for Silver and **$6,409** for Gold, blended across household types, states and excess levels. Combined hospital and extras cover followed the same order at a higher price: $3,990 for Basic, $4,948 for Bronze, $7,319 for Silver and $9,774 for Gold. Hospital cover is classified into four tiers: Basic, Bronze, Silver and Gold. These tiers are not marketing labels. Each tier is tied to minimum hospital-treatment categories that must be covered. A policy can only use a tier name if it meets the minimum requirements for that tier. - Basic is the minimum hospital tier, with restricted or limited cover for a small number of hospital-treatment categories. - Bronze includes more unrestricted hospital-treatment categories than Basic. - Silver covers a wider set of hospital-treatment categories again, including many common procedures. - Gold is the highest tier and is the only tier required to cover all 38 clinical categories without restriction, including pregnancy and birth, assisted reproductive services and joint replacements. Funds can also offer "Plus" versions of Basic, Bronze or Silver that add extra categories beyond the tier minimum. This is why the market data blends standard and Plus products within each tier group. Average annual health insurance premium in Australia, by hospital tier Mean annual premium across all states, excess levels and household types, using 2026 published rates. Official data Hospital only Combined (hospital + extras) Price rises in step with cover. Moving from Basic to Gold hospital-only cover adds an average of $3,802 a year, and about 44% of that gap sits between Silver and Gold alone, the jump to full unrestricted cover for every clinical category. **Source:** PrivateHealth.gov.au product pricing dataset, 2026 published rates, retrieved 1 July 2026. ![CheckRate](/__l5e/assets-v1/7bc4597d-01a6-41ce-b2ee-e3271c8e8b60/checkrate-logo.png) Hospital cover tier requirements and average cost in Australia Official data Tier Hospital only Combined Typically covers **Basic** $2,607 $3,990 Minimum hospital-tier requirements, with limited or restricted cover for many clinical categories. Bronze $3,079 $4,948 Basic's categories plus around 18 further unrestricted treatments Silver $4,739 $7,319 Most common procedures, including joint reconstructions, hernias and gynaecology, but not pregnancy or joint replacements Gold $6,409 $9,774 All 38 clinical categories, unrestricted, including pregnancy and birth, IVF and joint replacements "Typically covers" is a general guide to each tier's minimum requirements; individual funds can add extra categories under "Plus" naming without moving to the next tier up. **Source:** PrivateHealth.gov.au product pricing dataset, 2026 published rates; tier requirements from PrivateHealth.gov.au, Product tiers. ![CheckRate](/__l5e/assets-v1/7bc4597d-01a6-41ce-b2ee-e3271c8e8b60/checkrate-logo.png) Excess works in the opposite direction: a higher excess, the amount paid out of pocket before the fund contributes to a hospital admission, lowers the premium. Average hospital-only health insurance premium for a single person in Australia, by excess level Mean annual premium across all states and tiers, using 2026 published rates. Official data Excess level Relative premium Avg annual $0 (nil excess) $3,095 **$3,095** Up to $250 $2,762 $2,762 $251 to $500 $2,341 $2,341 $501 to $750 $2,245 $2,245 **Note:** Moving from nil excess to policies in the $501-$750 excess band is associated with an $850 lower mean annual premium, about 27% of the nil-excess mean. $750 is the highest per-person excess commonly published for single-person hospital policies. **Source:** PrivateHealth.gov.au product pricing dataset, 2026 published rates, retrieved 1 July 2026. ![CheckRate](/__l5e/assets-v1/7bc4597d-01a6-41ce-b2ee-e3271c8e8b60/checkrate-logo.png) Section 03 Hospital, extras, or both ## How much do hospital, extras and combined health insurance policies cost? Hospital cover costs more than extras cover on its own. For a single person, hospital-only cover averages **$2,536** a year, compared with **$1,016** for extras-only cover, a ratio of about 2.5 to 1. Combined cover, which bundles both, averages **$3,632**, only about **$80** more a year than buying hospital and extras separately at market-average prices. Hospital cover and extras cover pay for different things. - **Hospital cover** pays toward the cost of being admitted to hospital as a private patient: accommodation, theatre fees and the Medicare Benefits Schedule gap on the treating doctor's bill. - **Extras cover**, also called general treatment, pays toward everyday services Medicare does not cover, such as dental, optical and physiotherapy. - **Combined policies** bundle both under one premium. Average annual health insurance premium in Australia: hospital only, extras only and combined cover Mean annual premium by household type, blended across all states, tiers and excess levels, using 2026 published rates. Official data Hospital component Extras component Within an average combined policy, around 62% of the premium funds the hospital component and 38% funds the extras component. These figures describe the split inside combined policies only, and are not the same as the separate hospital-only and extras-only market averages shown elsewhere in this section. **Source:** PrivateHealth.gov.au product pricing dataset, 2026 published rates, retrieved 1 July 2026. Hospital and extras components are based on the component amounts declared in each combined product's pricing data. ![CheckRate](/__l5e/assets-v1/7bc4597d-01a6-41ce-b2ee-e3271c8e8b60/checkrate-logo.png) $2,536 Hospital only, single Covers hospital admissions only. It does not include benefits for dental, optical, physiotherapy or other extras services. $1,016 Extras only, single Covers everyday services only. It does not provide benefits for a private hospital admission and does not count as private patient hospital cover for Medicare Levy Surcharge purposes. These figures are calculated from different sets of products, so the $80 difference doesn't reflect a matched comparison of one insurer's hospital, extras and combined policies, and doesn't show whether individual insurers offer a bundle discount. Extras cover and the Medicare Levy Surcharge Extras-only cover does not count toward avoiding the Medicare Levy Surcharge or Lifetime Health Cover loading. Only hospital cover, whether bought alone or as part of a combined policy, affects those two settings. Section 04 Age, discounts and loading ## How health insurance costs vary by age and household type The listed premium for a specific private health insurance policy generally does not change simply because the policyholder is older or younger. A 25-year-old and a 55-year-old usually pay the same listed price for the same product, household type, state and excess level. What can change the final amount paid are government settings that sit on top of the listed premium. These include the Australian Government Rebate, the optional age-based discount for people who take out hospital cover before 30, and Lifetime Health Cover loading for people who first take out hospital cover later. [Household type](/cost-of-living) has a more direct effect: a couple pays close to double the singles rate, and a family pays the most of any household type on average. Moving from a single policy to a couple's policy roughly doubles the premium. Moving from a couple to a family adds a further 18% on average, reflecting the family pricing scale itself rather than a per-child charge; most funds do not charge separately for each dependent child. ### The age-based discount for people under 30 Since 1 April 2019, insurers can offer people aged 18 to 29 a discount on the hospital component of their premium. - The discount is 2% for every year a person is under 30 when they first take out eligible hospital cover, up to a maximum of 10% for people aged 18 to 25. - It applies whether the person holds hospital cover alone or as part of a combined policy. - It does not apply to extras-only cover, and does not apply to a young adult covered as a dependant on someone else's family or single-parent policy. - Offering the discount is optional for insurers. ### Example age-based discount on a single hospital-only policy Illustrative saving based on the $2,536 mean listed premium for single hospital-only cover in this article. The example assumes the insurer offers the full age-based discount. Join at 25 (hospital only, single) $254/yr 10% discount on the $2,536 average, kept until age 41 Join at 27 $152/yr 6% discount (2% for each year under 30) Join at 29 $51/yr 2% discount, the smallest amount available The discount is retained at the level first set until the policyholder turns 41. It then reduces by 2 percentage points each year until it reaches zero. On a couple or family policy, the discount is averaged across the adults covered by the policy. ### Lifetime Health Cover loading, for people who join later A separate setting works against people who delay hospital cover. Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) loading adds to the hospital premium for every year of age over 30 that a person is when they first take out hospital cover. - The loading is 2% per year of age over 30, capped at 70%. - It applies only to the hospital component of the premium. - It is removed entirely after 10 years of continuous cover. - It does not apply to extras-only cover. ### Example Lifetime Health Cover loading on a single hospital-only policy Illustrative extra cost based on the $2,536 mean listed premium for single hospital-only cover in this article. The example uses certified age of entry, not simply the person's birthday age when they buy a policy. Join at 35 +$254/yr 10% loading on the $2,536 average, for 10 years Join at 40 +$507/yr 20% loading, for 10 years Join at 45 +$761/yr 30% loading, for 10 years Most adults with hospital cover do not pay Lifetime Health Cover loading As at March 2026, APRA reports that 87.0% of adults with hospital cover had a certified age of entry of 30 or under, meaning no loading applies. A total of 1,187,740 people were subject to an LHC loading, a net increase of 85,524 people over the preceding 12 months. Section 05 Premium history, 1997 to 2026 ## How much have health insurance premiums increased in Australia? The Australian Government approved an average industry-wide private health insurance premium increase of **4.41%** from 1 April 2026, up from 3.73% in 2025 and 3.03% in 2024. It was the largest approved annual increase since 2017, when premiums rose by 4.84%. Approved average premiums have increased by about **40%** over the past decade, based on compounded industry-average increases from 2017 to 2026. Over the past 20 premium rounds, from 2007 to 2026, they increased by about **141%** on the same compounded basis. Each year, health insurers submit proposed premium changes to the Australian Government for approval. The approved industry-average figure is weighted across policy subgroups and membership, so individual funds and individual policies can increase by more or less than the headline average. Approved average annual health insurance premium increase in Australia, 1997 to 2026 Industry-wide average increase approved by the Department of Health, effective 1 April each year. Official data Premiums rose in 29 of the past 30 years; the sole exception was 2001, when the average change was effectively flat (-0.01%). The average yearly increase has eased across each successive era shown, but 2026's 4.41% rise is the highest approved industry-average increase since 2017. **Source:** Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Average annual price changes in private health insurance premiums, 1997-2026. ![CheckRate](/__l5e/assets-v1/7bc4597d-01a6-41ce-b2ee-e3271c8e8b60/checkrate-logo.png) 29/30 Years of the past 30 in which average premiums rose The only year premiums did not rise on average was 2001, when the industry-wide change was effectively flat. Every other year from 1997 to 2026 recorded a positive average increase, ranging from as low as 2.70% (2022) to as high as 7.96% (2005). The size of the increase varies widely by fund. For the 2026 round, the smallest approved rise was 1.98%, from GMHBA, a not-for-profit fund, and the largest was 5.98%, from AIA. Larger listed insurers, including Bupa, Medibank and NIB, also approved rises above the 4.41% industry average. Compared with general prices, premium rises have outpaced [inflation](/inflation) in some years and lagged behind it in others. Premium increases were consistently larger than headline CPI from 2016 to 2020. That pattern reversed from 2021 to 2023, when broader inflation, including a CPI peak of **7.8%** in 2022, ran ahead of premium growth, which stayed close to 2.7% to 2.9% through that period. Premiums moved back above CPI in 2024, then fell just behind it again in 2025. Health insurance premium increase vs headline inflation in Australia, 2016 to 2025 Approved premium increase, effective April each year, compared with annual CPI, all groups, to December of the same year. Official data Premium increase CPI, all groups Premium increases ran ahead of headline CPI for most of the late 2010s. That flipped during the 2021 to 2023 cost-of-living surge, when CPI rose faster than premiums each year, before premiums moved back ahead in 2024. Premiums grew 3.03% in 2024 and 3.73% in 2025, either side of CPI over the same two years. **Source:** Department of Health, Average annual price changes in private health insurance premiums; ABS Consumer Price Index, Australia. ![CheckRate](/__l5e/assets-v1/7bc4597d-01a6-41ce-b2ee-e3271c8e8b60/checkrate-logo.png) Section 06 Premiums and the household budget ## How health insurance premiums compare with wages and rebates Combined hospital and extras cover for a single person, at a mean listed premium of $3,632 a year or about $70 a week, is equivalent to about **3.4%** of the $2,051.10 seasonally adjusted [average weekly ordinary-time earnings for full-time adults](/average-salary) in November 2025, before any government rebate. This is a simple wage benchmark, not a measure of household affordability. It compares a mean listed premium with gross full-time adult earnings and does not account for income tax, part-time work, household income, policy selection, rebates or out-of-pocket medical costs. After the Australian Government Rebate, the same mean listed premium falls to about **$2,756 a year**, or **$53 a week**, for a person under 65 who is eligible for the Base Tier rebate. The Australian Government Rebate is an income-tested percentage applied to private health insurance premiums. It can apply to hospital, extras and combined policies. The rebate depends on income tier and the age of the oldest person covered by the policy. - The rebate can apply to **standalone extras cover**, unlike the Medicare Levy Surcharge and Lifetime Health Cover loading, which relate to hospital cover. - The rebate does **not** apply to the Lifetime Health Cover loading component of a premium. - Rebate income thresholds changed from **1 July 2026**, while the rebate percentages shown below apply from **1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027**. Government private health insurance rebate thresholds and rates in Australia, from 1 July 2026 Official data Tier Singles income Family income Rebate, under 65 Rebate, 65-69 Rebate, 70+ **Base Tier** **≤$105,000** **≤$210,000** 24.118% 28.139% 32.158% Tier 1 $105,001-$123,000 $210,001-$246,000 16.079% 20.098% 24.118% Tier 2 $123,001-$164,000 $246,001-$328,000 8.038% 12.058% 16.079% Tier 3 ≥$164,001 ≥$328,001 0% 0% 0% The income thresholds shown apply from 1 July 2026. The rebate percentages shown took effect on 1 April 2026 and apply until 31 March 2027. Family thresholds rise by $1,500 for each dependent child after the first. **Source:** Australian Taxation Office, Income thresholds and rates for the private health insurance rebate, updated 26 February 2026. ![CheckRate](/__l5e/assets-v1/7bc4597d-01a6-41ce-b2ee-e3271c8e8b60/checkrate-logo.png) Before rebate Combined cover, single, national average $3,632 $70 a week 24% rebate After Base Tier rebate Under 65, income up to $105,000 $2,756 $53 a week The same Base Tier rebate applied to the average hospital-only policy for a single person brings the mean listed premium from $2,536 to about **$1,924 a year**, or $37 a week. People without an appropriate level of hospital cover may also be liable for the Medicare Levy Surcharge if their income is above the relevant threshold. The surcharge ranges from 1% to 1.5% of income, depending on income tier. Wage growth was lower than the approved 2026 premium increase. The Wage Price Index rose 3.3% over the year to the March 2026 quarter, compared with the approved 4.41% average private health insurance premium increase from 1 April 2026. The ABS monthly Consumer Price Index showed that all-groups CPI rose 4.0% over the year to May 2026. The Health group rose 3.8%, while Medical and hospital services rose 5.0%. The ABS said Medical and hospital services was the main contributor to the Health group increase, due to higher medical fees and private health insurance premiums. Older household spending data The most recent detailed ABS Household Expenditure Survey, from 2015-16, recorded average household spending of about $82 a week on medical care and health overall. This was a population-wide average across all households, including households without private health insurance. The figure is not directly comparable with the mean listed policy premiums in this article. It covers a wider spending category and predates the past decade of premium increases. Premiums are not the only cost of holding private hospital cover. APRA reports additional out-of-pocket costs on top of the premium itself: - The average out-of-pocket payment for a hospital episode was **$511.02**, up **8.9%** from the March 2025 quarter. - The average medical gap, where a medical gap was paid, was **$245.08**. - Orthopaedic services had the highest average medical gap where a gap was paid, at **$849.93**. Separately, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing said the hospital benefits ratio, the share of premium revenue paid out as benefits, reached **85.9%** in the 12 months to September 2025. It projected the ratio would rise to 87% for the 12 months from 1 April 2026. Interactive explorer Find _an average listed premium_ Selecting a cover type, state, hospital tier and household type shows the average annual and weekly premium from this dataset, along with the estimated cost after the government rebate. Figures are averages, not a quote for any specific policy. Cover type Hospital onlyExtras onlyCombined State NSW / ACT Victoria Queensland Western Australia South Australia Tasmania Northern Territory Hospital tier Basic Bronze Silver Gold Household type Single Couple Single-parent family Family (couple + dependants) Government rebate tier No rebate (Tier 3, or ineligible) Tier 2, under 65 (8.038%) Tier 1, under 65 (16.079%) Base Tier, under 65 (24.118%) Base Tier, 65 to 69 (28.139%) Base Tier, 70 or over (32.158%) Average annual premium $2,739 Hospital cover, Silver tier, before rebate Average weekly premium $52/wk Before rebate Estimated rebate −$661 24.1% government rebate Estimated cost after rebate $2,078/yr $40 a week after rebate This selection vs the national average for this household type This selection: **$2,739** National avg for single: $2,536 Figures are averages across all published products for the chosen combination, not a specific fund's price. Extras-only cover has no hospital tier, so the tier selector is greyed out when it's chosen; the rebate still applies to extras-only premiums. General information only This article presents publicly available statistical data for general information purposes only. It does not constitute financial, tax, legal or insurance advice. Premium figures are averages across published products and do not reflect the price of any specific policy. Actual premiums, rebate entitlements, Medicare Levy Surcharge liability and Lifetime Health Cover loading depend on individual circumstances. ## References 1. 1 [**data.gov.au: PrivateHealth.gov.au dataset**](https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/private-health-insurance), July 2026 ZIP file, retrieved 1 July 2026: the underlying product-level data for Hospital, General Treatment (extras) and Combined policies open to new members, including premiums, excess levels, hospital tiers and household coverage, used to calculate the average premium figures in this piece. 2. 2 [**Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: Average annual price changes in private health insurance premiums**](https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/average-annual-price-changes-in-private-health-insurance-premiums?language=en), 1997 to 2026. 3. 3 [**Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: 2026 Private Health Insurance Premiums**](https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-mark-butler-mp/media/2026-private-health-insurance-premiums) (17 February 2026): the approved 4.41% average 2026 increase, government rebate expenditure, and the hospital benefits ratio. 4. 4 [**APRA: Quarterly private health insurance membership and benefits summary**](https://www.apra.gov.au/quarterly-private-health-insurance-membership-and-benefits-summary-march-2026), March 2026: average out-of-pocket (gap) payments. 5. 5 [**APRA: Quarterly private health insurance statistics**](https://www.apra.gov.au/news-and-publications/quarterly-private-health-insurance-statistics), March 2026: hospital cover coverage rates, Lifetime Health Cover loading statistics. 6. 6 [**Australian Taxation Office: Income thresholds and rates for the private health insurance rebate**](https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/medicare-and-private-health-insurance/private-health-insurance-rebate/income-thresholds-and-rates-for-the-private-health-insurance-rebate), 2026-27. 7. 7 [**Australian Taxation Office: Appropriate level of private patient hospital cover**](https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/medicare-and-private-health-insurance/medicare-levy-surcharge/paying-the-medicare-levy-surcharge/appropriate-level-of-private-patient-hospital-cover). 8. 8 [**PrivateHealth.gov.au: Product tiers**](https://www.privatehealth.gov.au/health_insurance/howitworks/producttiers.htm). 9. 9 [**PrivateHealth.gov.au: Lifetime Health Cover**](https://www.privatehealth.gov.au/health_insurance/surcharges_incentives/lifetime_health_cover.htm). 10. 10 [**PrivateHealth.gov.au: Age-based Discount**](https://www.privatehealth.gov.au/health_insurance/surcharges_incentives/discount_age.htm). 11. 11 [**ABS: Average Weekly Earnings, Australia**](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/earnings-and-working-conditions/average-weekly-earnings-australia/latest-release), November 2025. 12. 12 [**ABS: Wage Price Index, Australia**](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/price-indexes-and-inflation/wage-price-index-australia/latest-release), March 2026. 13. 13 [**ABS: Consumer Price Index, Australia**](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/price-indexes-and-inflation/consumer-price-index-australia/latest-release), May 2026. 14. 14 [**ABS: Consumer Price Index, Australia**](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/price-indexes-and-inflation/consumer-price-index-australia/dec-2025), December 2025. 15. 15 [**ABS: Household Expenditure Survey, Australia: Summary of Results**](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/finance/household-expenditure-survey-australia-summary-results/latest-release), 2015-16. Methodology Premium averages are calculated from the PrivateHealth.gov.au July 2026 product pricing dataset, downloaded from data.gov.au and retrieved on 1 July 2026. The analysis includes hospital, extras and combined policies open to new members. Figures are simple means across published product, state and excess combinations. They are not weighted by membership, state population, policy selection or actual premiums paid. Unless stated otherwise, figures are shown before the Australian Government Rebate, Lifetime Health Cover loading and age-based discounts. The dataset is a published-price snapshot that largely reflects premiums effective from 1 April 2026. Premium history, membership, Lifetime Health Cover and out-of-pocket figures are from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and APRA. Rebate and Medicare Levy Surcharge settings are from the ATO. Wage, inflation and household spending figures are from the ABS. Cumulative premium growth is calculated by compounding the approved annual industry-average premium increases published by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. ## Data Snapshots ![average annual health insurance premium in australia hospital only extras only and combined cover](https://eznpqfufanyahmlyjhnj.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/article-covers/snapshots/03e517d2-481e-4723-8c56-1d8b1b238848/average-annual-health-insurance-premium-in-australia-hospital-only-extras-only-and-combined-cover-ir0h.jpg) Average Annual Health Insurance Premium in Australia ![average annual health insurance premium in australia by hospital tier](https://eznpqfufanyahmlyjhnj.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/article-covers/snapshots/03e517d2-481e-4723-8c56-1d8b1b238848/average-annual-health-insurance-premium-in-australia-by-hospital-tier-17v8.jpg) Average Annual Health Insurance Premium in Australia by Hospital Tier ## Related research [ ![Average contents and landlord insurance costs in Australia](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1734328819658-0c3ceef27c46?q=80&w=870&auto=format&fit=crop&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8fA%3D%3D) insurance 21 July 2026 · 10 min read ### Average contents and landlord insurance costs in Australia The average home contents insurance premium reached $531 a year in 2024-25, up 20.1% from 2021-22, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. 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