Compare Single Parent Private Health Insurance

Looking for the right health insurance policy for your needs? The table below displays health insurance policies for single-parent families from our Online Partners.

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Editor-in-Chief
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  • Star Rating - lowest first
  • Star Rating - highest first
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  • Monthly premium (approx) - lowest first
  • Monthly premium (approx) - highest first
Bronze+
$750
$246
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Earn up to 130,000 Qantas Points on sign-up. Points will be awarded over 6 months. Ends 15 August. Eligibility criteria and T&Cs apply.
Psychiatric services
Rehabilitation
General dental
Physiotherapy
Bronze+
$750
$176
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Winner of Canstar's Outstanding Value Health Insurance 9 years running and winner of more Canstar Awards than any other Health Fund in 2024.
Psychiatric services
Rehabilitation
General dental
Physiotherapy
Basic+
$750
$177
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Get up to 14 weeks FREE. For new members who join by 28 August and maintain hospital and extras cover. T&Cs apply.
Psychiatric services
Rehabilitation
General dental
Physiotherapy
Basic+
$750
$171
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Join Directly On Eligible Cover & Get Up To 8 Weeks Free. T&Cs apply. New members only. Ends 10 Sept. 8 weeks free applied over 2 years (3 years for annual payers).
Psychiatric services
Rehabilitation
General dental
Physiotherapy
Bronze
$750
$212
Psychiatric services
Rehabilitation
General dental
Physiotherapy

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The initial results in the table above are sorted by Star Rating (High-Low) , then Monthly premium (approx) (Low-High) , then Provider Name (Alphabetical) . Additional filters may have been applied, which impact the results displayed in the table - filters can be applied or removed at any time.

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Earn up to 130,000 Qantas Points when you join or switch by 15 August. Points will be awarded over 6 months. Eligibility criteria and T&Cs apply.
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The only health insurance that comes with Qantas Points.
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Use your points on a range of Qantas flights, hotels and more.

What is single parent health insurance cover?

Single parent health insurance is a type of private health insurance designed specifically for one adult and their child or children. It differs from singles, couples, and family health insurance policies, in that it provides cover specifically for one adult and their dependent or dependents. It typically offers the same type of hospital and extras cover as a family policy, but is designed for households with one parent. This means you can access benefits for both yourself and your children—without paying for an additional adult on the policy.

What are the different types of single parent health insurance policies?

There are three different types of health insurance you can purchase in Australia:

Hospital cover: This type of cover allows you to be treated as a private patient in a private or public hospital. You’ll typically find four main ‘tiers’ to choose from when purchasing a hospital cover, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Basic.

Extras cover: An extras cover can help cover your out-of-pocket expenses for other health services, or ‘general’ services, such as dental, physiotherapy and optical (classes and contact lenses).

Combined hospital and extras cover: This includes both hospital and extras cover in the one policy.

How to find the best single parent health insurance?

There’s no one-size-fits-all policy when it comes to health insurance. The ‘best’ option for you will depend on your lifestyle, budget, and the level of cover you need. Here are a few key things to consider when comparing single parent policies:

  • Consider what kind of cover you need: Decide whether you want hospital cover, extras cover, or a combined policy. Hospital cover helps with in-patient care, while extras cover can include things like dental, optical, and chiropractic visits.
  • Consider whether you need ambulance cover: Not all policies include ambulance services. When comparing options, think about whether you need additional cover for emergency or non-emergency transport.
  • Consider the annual limits: Some single parent or family policies have shared annual limits for extras. This means the total claimable amount is shared between you and your dependents. It’s worth reading the fine print to make sure these limits match your family’s needs.
  • Check how long your children can stay on the policy: Many health funds let children stay on until they’re between 21 and 25, depending on whether they’re studying or financially dependent.
  • Look for added incentives: Some insurers may also offer added perks like no-gap dental check-ups or, say, discounted glasses for kids. These extras can offer good value depending on your child’s age and needs. When taking out insurance, you could even ask the provider if they are willing to waive any of the two and six-month waiting periods on extras for you.

It’s worth remembering that different health funds offer varying levels of cover and features in a health insurance policy. Taking the time to compare options can help you find a policy that best suits your needs. It can also help to read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) carefully to avoid any surprises at a later stage.

If you’re looking for a single parent health insurance cover, the comparison table at the top of this page can be a good place to start. You may also find Canstar’s latest Health Insurance Star Ratings and Awards helpful to see which insurers have delivered ‘outstanding’ value to customers across Australia.

Frequently Asked Questions about Single Parent Private Health Insurance

Single parent health insurance policies typically cost more than singles cover because they include benefits for your dependents. However, they usually cost less than two-parent family policies with the same level of coverage.

If you’re separating from your spouse, you can consider the option of switching to a single parent policy to make sure both you and your children remain covered without paying for an additional adult.

When you take out private health insurance, you may be eligible for the Private Health Insurance Rebate, which can reduce your premium costs or allow you to claim a percentage of your premiums back at tax time. 

This rebate is income-tested, meaning you may not qualify if your income exceeds a certain threshold. As a single parent, your income is assessed under the family income thresholds, which could allow you to receive a higher rebate than if you were single without dependents.

It’s not very common to find private health insurance policies that cover only children, though a few health funds may offer this option. These child-only policies often come with specific eligibility requirements. For example, some funds, like Defence Health, may restrict access to members or families with ties to the military. If you’re looking for a health insurance policy to cover your children, a single parent or family policy may be a more cost-effective option.

About our finance experts

Nina Rinella, Editor-in-Chief

Nina Rinella
As Canstar’s Editor-in-Chief, Nina heads up a team of talented journalists committed to helping empower consumers to take greater control of their finances. Nina has written countless articles about finance and has been interviewed on finance topics by media organisations including The Australian, Realestate.com.au, Domain, the Herald Sun and the Sydney Morning Herald. Previously Nina founded her own agency where she provided content and communications support to clients around Australia for 8 years. She also spent four years as the PR Manager for American Express Australia, and has worked at a Brisbane communications agency where she supported dozens of clients, including Sunsuper and Suncorp. When she’s not dreaming up ways to put a fresh spin on finance, she’s taking her own advice by trying to pay her house off as quickly as possible and raising two money-savvy kids. Nina has a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in English Literature from the University of Queensland. She’s also an experienced presenter, and has hosted numerous events and YouTube series. You can follow her on LinkedIn and Canstar on Facebook. Meet the Canstar Editorial Team. Have a media enquiry, and interested in featuring Nina as a financial expert and commentator? Contact Canstar’s Media Team today.

Joshua Sale, GM, Research

Joshua Sale

As Canstar’s Ratings Manager, Josh Sale is responsible for the methodology and delivery of Canstar’s Health Insurance Star Ratings and Awards. With tertiary qualifications in economics and finance, Josh has worked behind the scenes for the last five years to develop Star Ratings and Awards that help connect consumers with the right product for them.

Josh is passionate about helping consumers get hands-on with their finances. Josh has been interviewed by media outlets such as the Australian Financial Reviewnews.com.au and Money Magazine.

You can follow Josh on LinkedIn, and Canstar on Twitter and Facebook.


Important information

For those that love the detail

This advice is general and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether this advice is right for you.

Canstar may earn a fee from its Online Partners for referrals from its website tables, and from sponsorship or promotion of certain products. Fees payable by product providers for referrals and sponsorship or promotion may vary between providers, website position, and revenue model. Sponsorship/promotion fees may be higher than referral fees. If a product is sponsored or promoted, it’s an ad and it is clearly marked as such. An ad might appear in different places on our website, such as in comparison tables and articles. Ads may be displayed in a fixed position in a table, regardless of the product's rating, price or other attributes. The location of an ad doesn’t indicate any ranking or rating by Canstar. Payment of fees for ads does not influence our Star Ratings. See How We Get Paid to find out more. Payment of fees for ads does not influence our Star Ratings or Awards.

Canstar is a member of the Private Health Insurance Intermediaries Association (“PHIIA”) and is a signatory to the PHIIA Code of Conduct.

If you click a 'book a call' button you will be redirected to ItsMyGroup Pty Ltd (ABN 85 167 289 965) (“ItsMyHealth”). Canstar has partnered with ItsMyHealth to help you compare and switch health insurance. The health insurance comparison and call back service is powered by ItsMyHealth. Canstar is not responsible to you for any advice ItsMyHealth provides to you. If you make a decision to enter into a health insurance policy, you are responsible for all fees payable in relation to that policy. Before applying for any health insurance policy, you should read and understand the product information. Consider the Product Summary to obtain full details of inclusions, exclusions, waiting periods and all limits that may apply. 

Both Canstar and ItsMyHealth are members of the Private Health Insurance Intermediaries Association (“PHIIA”) and are signatories to the PHIIA Code of Conduct.

Canstar is not providing a recommendation for your individual circumstances. We cannot and do not recommend that any particular product is suitable for you. 

We provide links to our Online Partners. These are brands that may pay Canstar a fee for referring you. Our tables default to display only our Online Partners’ products initially, you can adjust the Online Partner Filter to see all of the products available for comparison on Canstar’s website. We provide these links so that you can click through to the product provider’s website to get more information. The provision of these links does not constitute a recommendation by Canstar.

Any advice on this page is general and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether this general advice is right for your personal circumstances. You may need advice from a qualified adviser. Canstar is not providing a recommendation for your individual circumstances. If you decide to apply for an insurance policy, you will deal directly with the provider, not with Canstar.  It’s important you check product information directly with the provider. Consider the Product Disclosure Statement before making a purchase decision. For more information, read our Detailed Disclosure.

The Health Insurance Star Ratings were awarded in November 2024 and data in the table is current as at that date, updated from time to time to reflect product changes notified to us by product issuers. The results don’t include every provider in the market and we may not compare all features relevant to you. You can find a description of the initial sort order below the table. You can use the sort buttons at the top of each column to re-order the display. Learn more about our Health Insurance Star Rating Methodology. The rating shown is only one factor to take into account when considering products.

The products and Star Ratings in the table might not match your exact inputs in the selector. Sometimes the methodology uses profiles with categories or bands (e.g. income, loan amount or monthly spend), but sometimes a single methodology, without any categories or bands, is applied. The results will show the products that most closely match your selection, based on our profiles. If you are unsure about any terms used in the comparison table please refer to the glossary.

Companies listed in the table, or in ads, may use or be used by another company to arrange, issue, distribute or sell its insurance policies to customers. For more information on the issuer of the policy, please read the Product Disclosure Statement.

If you are seeking to replace an insurance policy, you should consider your personal circumstances, including continuing the existing cover until the replacement policy is issued and cover confirmed. Your current policy may have different features to products currently on the market. Please consider what features are right for you when comparing insurance products and refer to the provider for further details on a policy.

What is a Target Market Determination?

A Target Market Determination (‘TMD’) is a document that explains which people particular financial products may be suitable for (the target market) and sets out any conditions around how financial products can be distributed to consumers.

Why do product issuers provide Target Market Determinations?

From 5 October 2021, TMDs are compulsory for most financial products.

Issuers and distributors of financial products must take reasonable steps that are likely to result in financial products reaching consumers in the target market defined by the product issuer.

We recommend that you consider the TMD before making a purchase decision. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the TMD.