Couples health insurance

What is couples health insurance?

Couples health insurance is one policy that covers two adults, typically taken out by married, de facto or registered couples. Couples health insurance gives you and your partner the same level of coverage for the same treatments and procedures.

A potential benefit of couples health insurance may be that it’s more convenient. You’ll only have one insurance premium to pay, and you’ll only need to manage one account.

A potential drawback of getting couples health insurance could be if you and your partner have different health insurance needs or want to be covered for different treatments. As an alternative, you could consider getting two separate singles policies that you can each tailor to your individual needs.

Private Healthcare Australia (PHA) is the peak body representing the private health insurance industry, and CEO Rachel David told Canstar you need to check what cover you are getting with any couples or singles policy:

“You need to ensure that any cover meets your financial needs, but it also meets your health needs,” she said.

To help you consider your options when it comes to health insurance for couples, Canstar’s Private Health Insurance Star Ratings and Awards use a unique methodology to assess policies and providers.

What does couples health insurance cover?

Like other health insurance policies, couples health insurance can include hospital cover, hospital and extras cover, or extras only, depending on your choice of policy.

There are also different levels of cover to suit your needs. For hospital cover, policy tiers range from Basic cover through to Bronze, Silver and Gold. For extras cover, the categories are not as clearly defined, but most insurers offer a range of different levels of extras cover, with varying inclusions and exclusions for each.

It’s important to carefully compare the level of cover you can get to you and your partner’s needs. For example, a young couple would likely need different cover to a couple planning a family, or a mature couple who may need cover for conditions that can arise with age.

How much does couples health insurance cost?>

A big question for many couples will be how much does health insurance for couples cost?

Canstar has calculated the average annual premiums for couples at different life stages. This is based on the policies on our database as at the date indicated below.

Average annual health insurance premiums for couples

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Source: www.canstar.com.au – 29/01/2025. Based on health insurance policies on Canstar’s database. OSHC, visitor and corporate policies, as well as policies from restricted funds, are excluded. The Australian Government Private Health Insurance Rebate, Base Tier for under 65s, of 24.608% has been applied to premiums. Average premiums based on state averages weighted by proportion of insured population (APRA Quarterly Private Health Insurance). Ratings profiles based on those used in Canstar’s Health Insurance Star Ratings, refer to the methodology for more information. *Hospital & Extras average based on the Tier 1 Extras profile.

Health insurance for young couples

Some young couples may feel that a more basic level of hospital cover is enough to suit their budget, plus extras cover for benefits such as optical and dental.

To keep the cost of your health insurance down, you could think about choosing a policy that only covers what you need at this life stage. For example, if you’re in good health, you’re less likely to need cover for cataracts or joint replacements. Similarly, you may not need pregnancy cover if you don’t plan to have children soon.

Young couples that are into fitness may appreciate that some health funds also offer discounts on gym memberships with participating gyms. Alternatively, you might want to consider a policy that includes physio as an extra option if you lead an active lifestyle.

Health insurance for couples planning a family

Couples planning to start a family in the near future may want to consider cover that includes pregnancy and birth services. All Gold tier hospital policies must include pregnancy and birth cover, as well as assisted reproductive services such as IVF. You may also be interested in extras cover that includes antenatal and postnatal services.

Health funds usually have a 12-month waiting period before they allow you to claim benefits for obstetrics (pregnancy and birth related services). So, to get the benefit of these services, you generally need to take out private health insurance at least three months before you or your partner plan to get pregnant.

Bear in mind that both you and your partner will have the same cover under a couples policy. You might want to check if you would be better off to get one singles health insurance with pregnancy and birth cover, and another singles policy without this cover, as there could be a potential cost saving for the non-birthing parent.

If you choose to have a baby, you may wish to transition to a family policy. Most insurers charge similar premiums for family health insurance and couples health insurance. It’s a good idea to talk to your insurer to see what impact adding any kids will have on your policy and premium.

If you’re thinking of changing your health insurer for family cover, consider looking closely at your options before deciding which one may be best suited to your needs.

Health insurance for established and mature couples

If you’re an established and mature couple with no dependent children, you may benefit from having a high level of hospital cover and a wide range of extras, depending on your needs.

If you and your partner are senior citizens, you may wish to consider the seniors health insurance options that are available to you.

How to compare health insurance for couples

If you and your partner have agreed that couples health insurance is the way to go, you need to take the time to compare your options.

Canstar’s comparison tables can be a good place to start. Canstar compares thousands of health insurance policy variations based on price and features.

You may also want to check out the national, and state and territory award-winning providers of hospital and extras policies in Canstar’s latest Health Insurance Star Ratings and Awards and which provider had the most satisfied customers according to Canstar’s annual survey.

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Canstar Star Ratings and Awards

Looking for an award-winning product or to switch providers or brands? Canstar rates products based on price and features in our Star Ratings and Awards. Our expert Research team shares insights about which products offer 5-Star value and which providers offer outstanding value overall. We also reveal which providers have the most satisfied customers in our dedicated Customer Satisfaction Awards.

Health Insurance Star Ratings and Awards