Health insurance in Australia: every insurer, and who owns each brand

27 private health insurers operate in Australia: 19 open to anyone and 8 restricted to a particular occupation, employer or union. They sell under at least 45 brand names, because many familiar brands belong to the same insurer: ahm is Medibank; ING, Qantas, Real, Seniors, AAMI, Apia and Suncorp health cover is issued by nib; see-u and Queensland Country Health Fund are HBF; Frank is GMHBA; RT Health is HCF. Medibank and Bupa together hold 52% of the market. Counted from APRA's register and each brand's own site on 14 October 2026.

A policy comparison is expected in early 2027

Built from the government's monthly policy data. Refer Labs has no agreement with any insurer today, and this page earns nothing. Any insurer that pays us in future will be marked as one.

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Which health insurance brands are owned by the same insurer?

7 insurers sell under more than one name. Brands under one insurer are policies of the same registered insurer, and the government reports one set of performance figures for all of them. The insurer's legal name is printed on every policy's information statement. The five largest insurers hold 82.5% of the market between them; the other 22 share 17.5%.

Four same-insurer pairs, compared

26.5%

25.5%

12.8%

9.8%

7.9%

17.5%

Medibank, Bupa, HCF, nib, HBF, then the other 22. Market share as shown on privatehealth.gov.au.

Medibank
26.5% of the market, open to anyone
Medibank · ahm
HCF
12.8% of the market, open to anyone
HCF · RT Health
nib
9.8% of the market, open to anyone
nib · GU Health · ING · Qantas Health Insurance · Real Health Insurance · Seniors Health Insurance · AAMI Health Insurance · Apia Health Insurance · Suncorp Health Insurance
ING, Qantas, Real, Seniors, AAMI, Apia and Suncorp health cover is issued by nib and marketed by each of those companies.
HBF
7.9% of the market, open to anyone
HBF · see-u by HBF · Queensland Country Health Fund
Teachers Health
2.6% of the market, restricted
Teachers Health · Nurses & Midwives Health · UniHealth · TUH · Union Health
GMHBA
2.1% of the market, open to anyone
GMHBA · Frank
St.Lukes Health
0.6% of the market, open to anyone
St.Lukes Health · Astute Simplicity Health

Every insurer on the government's performance figures

privatehealth.gov.au publishes the same figures for each insurer on its own page: complaints to the Ombudsman against market share, the share of hospital charges covered, medical services with no gap, extras paid back, and premiums returned as benefits. They are collected here for all 27, unchanged. Search a brand, filter to the insurers you can join, and sort by the figure that matters to you.

Look up any health insurance brand

Who can join

Figures for

Sort by

Not-for-profit insurers only

Showing 19 insurers

This insurer Industry resultFigures from privatehealth.gov.au, read 14 October 2026. Whole insurer, all brands, not any one policy.

Medibank
Open to anyone · For-profit · 26.5% of the market
Also sold as ahm
Complaints: 23.9% of all complaints to the Ombudsman, with 26.5% of the market
Hospital charges covered
89.6% industry 89.0%
Medical services with no gap
81.8% industry 87.1%
Extras charges paid back
51.3% industry 50.7%
Premiums paid back as benefits
85.6% industry 84.5%
Hospital members who stayed
85.4% industry 85.0%
Management costs
7.6% industry 10.9%
Bupa
Open to anyone · For-profit · 25.5% of the market
Complaints: 25.2% of all complaints to the Ombudsman, with 25.5% of the market
Hospital charges covered
89.0% industry 89.0%
Medical services with no gap
90.2% industry 87.1%
Extras charges paid back
51.3% industry 50.7%
Premiums paid back as benefits
82.4% industry 84.5%
Hospital members who stayed
86.1% industry 85.0%
Management costs
11.3% industry 10.9%
HCF
Open to anyone · Not-for-profit · 12.8% of the market
Also sold as RT Health
Complaints: 12.1% of all complaints to the Ombudsman, with 12.8% of the market
Hospital charges covered
88.3% industry 89.0%
Medical services with no gap
85.4% industry 87.1%
Extras charges paid back
50.7% industry 50.7%
Premiums paid back as benefits
87.8% industry 84.5%
Hospital members who stayed
83.7% industry 85.0%
Management costs
12.4% industry 10.9%
nib
Open to anyone · For-profit · 9.8% of the market
Also sold as GU Health, ING, Qantas Health Insurance, Real Health Insurance, Seniors Health Insurance, AAMI Health Insurance, Apia Health Insurance, Suncorp Health Insurance
Complaints: 9.6% of all complaints to the Ombudsman, with 9.8% of the market
Hospital charges covered
85.8% industry 89.0%
Medical services with no gap
88.8% industry 87.1%
Extras charges paid back
58.0% industry 50.7%
Premiums paid back as benefits
82.0% industry 84.5%
Hospital members who stayed
79.0% industry 85.0%
Management costs
10.7% industry 10.9%
HBF
Open to anyone · Not-for-profit · 7.9% of the market
Also sold as see-u by HBF, Queensland Country Health Fund
Complaints: 4.4% of all complaints to the Ombudsman, with 7.9% of the market
Hospital charges covered
91.1% industry 89.0%
Medical services with no gap
92.7% industry 87.1%
Extras charges paid back
52.3% industry 50.7%
Premiums paid back as benefits
82.2% industry 84.5%
Hospital members who stayed
88.4% industry 85.0%
Management costs
13.4% industry 10.9%
Australian Unity
Open to anyone · For-profit · 2.1% of the market
Complaints: 2.7% of all complaints to the Ombudsman, with 2.1% of the market
Hospital charges covered
89.5% industry 89.0%
Medical services with no gap
90.6% industry 87.1%
Extras charges paid back
49.3% industry 50.7%
Premiums paid back as benefits
81.6% industry 84.5%
Hospital members who stayed
81.4% industry 85.0%
Management costs
12.2% industry 10.9%
GMHBA
Open to anyone · Not-for-profit · 2.1% of the market
Also sold as Frank
Complaints: 1.8% of all complaints to the Ombudsman, with 2.1% of the market
Hospital charges covered
89.2% industry 89.0%
Medical services with no gap
86.3% industry 87.1%
Extras charges paid back
45.6% industry 50.7%
Premiums paid back as benefits
81.9% industry 84.5%
Hospital members who stayed
79.9% industry 85.0%
Management costs
14.5% industry 10.9%
Westfund
Open to anyone · Not-for-profit · 0.9% of the market
Complaints: 0.6% of all complaints to the Ombudsman, with 0.9% of the market
Hospital charges covered
89.3% industry 89.0%
Medical services with no gap
89.7% industry 87.1%
Extras charges paid back
43.1% industry 50.7%
Premiums paid back as benefits
83.1% industry 84.5%
Hospital members who stayed
86.3% industry 85.0%
Management costs
12.6% industry 10.9%

What each measure means

Complaints relative to size: The insurer's share of complaints to the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman, against its share of the market. When sorting by this, insurers under 0.5% of the market are placed last, because their complaint numbers are too small to compare.
Hospital charges covered: Share of hospital-related charges the insurer paid for its members.
Medical services with no gap: Share of in-hospital medical services billed with no out-of-pocket gap.
Extras charges paid back: Share of extras (dental, optical, physio and so on) charges the insurer paid.
Premiums paid back as benefits: Benefits paid as a share of premium income, across the whole insurer.
Hospital members who stayed: Share of hospital-cover members retained over the year.
Management costs: Management expenses as a share of premium income.

These are figures for the whole insurer, as published by privatehealth.gov.au; Refer Labs does not rate insurers. A policy's own cover, excess, waiting periods and agreement hospitals matter more to what you will pay, and are on its Private Health Information Statement.

Your surcharge, rebate and loading

The Medicare levy surcharge if you go without hospital cover, the share of your premium the rebate pays, and when Lifetime Health Cover loading starts, using the 2026-27 thresholds and the rebate rates from 1 April 2026.

Medicare levy surcharge, 2026-27

Enter an income to see it.

Your rebate rate

Needs your income and the oldest person's age.

Lifetime Health Cover

Needs your date of birth.

An estimate, not tax advice. It does not model part-year cover, the 1,094 days you can be without cover, time overseas or the spouse exemption. Check with the ATO, privatehealth.gov.au or a registered tax agent. Rebate rates: Health circular PHI 12/26.

How do I compare two health insurance policies?

Six things decide whether a policy suits you, roughly in the order they rule policies in or out.

Hospital, extras or both.: Hospital cover is what the surcharge and Lifetime Health Cover rules apply to. Extras pay towards dental, optical, physio and similar services; they do not count for the surcharge or the loading, though the rebate applies to them.
The tier you need.: Pregnancy and birth, joint replacements, cataracts, weight loss surgery and sleep studies are Gold-only categories, unless a Plus policy adds them. The full lists are further down this page.
The excess.: To count against the surcharge, the excess can be no more than $750 for one person or $1,500 for anyone else. A higher excess lowers the premium and may not count.
The information statement.: Every policy has a Private Health Information Statement in the same government format: tier, what is covered or restricted, waiting periods and excess. It is the document to put side by side.
Agreement hospitals and gap cover.: Whether your hospital has an agreement with the insurer, and whether your doctor uses its gap scheme, affect what you pay out of pocket. Each insurer's no-gap and hospital-charge figures are in the comparison above.
Timing a switch.: Waiting periods already served carry over for the same or lower cover when the gap between policies is short. New or higher benefits can start new waiting periods.

Do I have to pay the Medicare levy surcharge?

You pay it if your income for surcharge purposes is above the base tier and you, your spouse and your dependants do not hold an appropriate level of private hospital cover. For 2026-27 the base tier ends at $105,000 for a single and $210,000 for a family, plus $1,500 for each dependent child after the first. Extras-only cover does not count.

Medicare levy surcharge income thresholds and rates, 2026-27
2026-27	Singles	Families	Surcharge
Base tier	$105,000 or less	$210,000 or less	0%
Tier 1	$105,001 to $123,000	$210,001 to $246,000	1%
Tier 2	$123,001 to $164,000	$246,001 to $328,000	1.25%
Tier 3	$164,001 or more	$328,001 or more	1.5%

A hospital policy only counts if its excess is no more than $750 for one person or $1,500 for any other, in any 12 months. The surcharge applies only for the days without appropriate cover. The ATO's own example: a single with surcharge income of $117,000 and no cover for the year pays 1%, or $1,170.

Sources: ATO, thresholds and rates; ATO, appropriate level of cover. Read 14 October 2026.

What is Lifetime Health Cover loading?

Without hospital cover by the 1 July after your 31st birthday, a loading applies when you take it out: 2% of the hospital premium for every year you are over 30, based on your age on the 1 July before you join. Joining at 35 means 10%, at 40 means 20%, and the loading is capped at 70%. It is removed after 10 continuous years of cover. At 30 June 2026, 1,209,359 people were paying one (APRA).

It applies to hospital cover only, and the rebate does not reduce it.
You can be without hospital cover for a total of 1,094 days in your lifetime without the loading starting.
Couples pay the average of the two adults' loadings.
People born on or before 1 July 1934 are exempt. New migrants have until the first anniversary of full Medicare registration.
Separately, insurers may offer people aged 18 to 29 a discount of up to 10% on hospital cover, kept until 41. It is optional for insurers; which insurers offer it.

Sources: privatehealth.gov.au, Lifetime Health Cover; age-based discount; Private Health Insurance Act 2007 s37. Read 14 October 2026.

How much is the private health insurance rebate?

The government pays part of your premium. The rate falls as income rises (on the surcharge tiers above) and rises with the age of the oldest person on the policy. From 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027:

Private health insurance rebate, 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027
Oldest on policy	Base tier	Tier 1	Tier 2	Tier 3
Under 65	24.118%	16.079%	8.038%	0%
65 to 69	28.139%	20.098%	12.058%	0%
70 and over	32.158%	24.118%	16.079%	0%

A bill before the Senate would give people aged 65 and over the under-65 rates from 1 April 2027. It passed the House of Representatives on 16 September 2026 and was not law as at 14 October 2026.

Sources: Health circular PHI 12/26; Parliament, the rebate bill. Read 14 October 2026.

What do Gold, Silver, Bronze and Basic hospital cover include?

Every hospital policy is one of four tiers, set by which of 38 clinical categories it must cover. All tiers cover rehabilitation, hospital psychiatric services and palliative care, though below Gold they may do so on a restricted basis. Bronze adds 18 categories, including joint reconstructions, hernia, gynaecology and cancer treatment. A Plus policy adds categories from the tier above.

Silver adds

Heart and vascular system
Lung and chest
Blood
Back, neck and spine
Plastic and reconstructive surgery (medically necessary)
Dental surgery
Podiatric surgery (provided by a registered podiatric surgeon)
Implantation of hearing devices

Only Gold must include

Cataracts
Joint replacements
Dialysis for chronic kidney failure
Pregnancy and birth
Assisted reproductive services
Weight loss surgery
Insulin pumps
Pain management with device
Sleep studies

Weight loss surgery and sleep studies sit outside Bronze and Silver unless a Plus policy adds them, which matters if you are reading our weight-loss or sleep guides. The few products below Gold that include weight loss surgery are named in which policies cover weight loss surgery.

Source: privatehealth.gov.au, product tiers. Read 14 October 2026.

What waiting periods apply when I join or switch?

The Private Health Insurance Act caps hospital waiting periods at 12 months for pregnancy and birth and for pre-existing conditions (signs or symptoms in the six months before joining or upgrading), and at 2 months for everything else, including psychiatric care, rehabilitation and palliative care. Insurers usually apply no waiting period to an accident that happens after you join. Extras waiting periods are set by each insurer.

Switching insurers does not restart a waiting period already served, for the same or lower cover; higher or new benefits can carry a new one. There is also a once-in-a-lifetime right to upgrade psychiatric cover without the two-month wait. Premiums rose by an average of 4.41% on 1 April 2026, and the 2027 change takes effect on 1 April 2027.

Sources: privatehealth.gov.au, waiting periods; Private Health Insurance Act 2007 ss75-1, 78-1; Minister for Health; circular PHI 78/26.

How many health insurers are there in Australia?

27. APRA registers and supervises every private health insurer and lists 28 (last updated 30 July 2026); CBHS Corporate Health is still on the register but merged into CBHS on 1 June 2026. 20 of the 27 are not-for-profit or member-owned. Listed by market share.

Insurer	Brands	Who can join	Share	Type	Based in
Medibank Medibank Private Limited	Medibank, ahm	Anyone	26.5%	For-profit	Docklands, VIC
Bupa BUPA HI Pty Ltd	Bupa	Anyone	25.5%	For-profit	Melbourne, VIC
HCF The Hospitals Contribution Fund of Australia Ltd	HCF, RT HealthRT Health merged into HCF in 2021; the RT Health brand continues.	Anyone	12.8%	Not-for-profit	Sydney, NSW
nib NIB Health Funds Ltd	nib, GU Health, ING, Qantas Health Insurance, Real Health Insurance, Seniors Health Insurance, AAMI Health Insurance, Apia Health Insurance, Suncorp Health Insurance	Anyone	9.8%	For-profit	Newcastle, NSW
HBF HBF Health Limited	HBF, see-u by HBF, Queensland Country Health FundBought CUA Health in 2021 (now see-u by HBF); Queensland Country Health Fund joined HBF on 1 July 2023.	Anyone	7.9%	Not-for-profit	Perth, WA
Teachers Health Teachers Federation Health Ltd	Teachers Health, Nurses & Midwives Health, UniHealth, TUH, Union HealthNurses & Midwives Health merged in on 1 January 2022; TUH merged in on 1 July 2025.	Current or former members of eligible unions (education, nursing and others) and their families.	2.6%	Not-for-profit	Sydney, NSW
Australian Unity Australian Unity Health Limited	Australian Unity	Anyone	2.1%	For-profit	Melbourne, VIC
GMHBA GMHBA Limited	GMHBA, Frankhealth.com.au policies moved to Frank in July 2021. Has an agreement to take over Reserve Bank Health Society, expected early 2027 subject to approval.	Anyone	2.1%	Not-for-profit	Geelong, VIC
Defence Health Defence Health Limited	Defence Health	Current or former ADF members, Defence employees and suppliers, and their families.	1.9%	Not-for-profit	Melbourne, VIC
CBHS CBHS Health Fund Limited	CBHSCBHS Corporate Health merged into CBHS on 1 June 2026.	Current or former Commonwealth Bank Group employees and their families, and former CBHS Corporate members.	1.4%	Not-for-profit	Parramatta, NSW
Westfund Westfund Limited	Westfund	Anyone	0.9%	Not-for-profit	Lithgow, NSW
Latrobe Health Latrobe Health Services Limited	Latrobe Health	Anyone	0.7%	Not-for-profit	Newborough, VIC
HIF Health Insurance Fund of Australia Limited	HIF	Anyone	0.6%	Not-for-profit	Perth, WA
Doctors' Health Fund The Doctors' Health Fund Pty Ltd	Doctors' Health Fund	Medical and listed allied health practitioners, students, their staff and families.	0.6%	For-profit	Sydney, NSW
Health Partners Health Partners Limited	Health Partners	Anyone	0.6%	Not-for-profit	Adelaide, SA
Police Health Police Health Limited	Police HealthRetired its Emergency Services Health brand in 2026.	The police community: serving and former officers, employees, volunteers and their families.	0.6%	Not-for-profit	Adelaide, SA
St.Lukes Health St Luke's Medical and Hospital Benefits Association	St.Lukes Health, Astute Simplicity Health	Anyone	0.6%	Not-for-profit	Launceston, TAS
AIA Health AIA Health Insurance Pty Ltd	AIA HealthReplaced myOwn, which closed to new business in March 2020.	Anyone	0.5%	For-profit	Melbourne, VIC
Peoplecare Peoplecare Health Limited	Peoplecare	Anyone	0.5%	Not-for-profit	Wollongong, NSW
Navy Health Navy Health Ltd	Navy Health	The ADF community, Defence civilians and contractors, cadets, and their families.	0.4%	Not-for-profit	Surrey Hills, VIC
Mildura Health Fund Mildura District Hospital Fund Ltd	Mildura Health Fund	Anyone	0.3%	Not-for-profit	Mildura, VIC
Phoenix Health Fund Phoenix Health Fund Limited	Phoenix Health Fund	Anyone	0.2%	Not-for-profit	Newcastle, NSW
onemedifund National Health Benefits Australia Pty Ltd	onemedifund	Anyone	0.1%	For-profit	Sydney Olympic Park, NSW
HCi Health Care Insurance Ltd	HCi	Anyone	0.1%	Not-for-profit	Burnie, TAS
ACA Health ACA Health Benefits Fund Limited	ACA Health	Seventh-day Adventist Church employees, local church officers and their families.	0.1%	Not-for-profit	Wahroonga, NSW
RBHS Reserve Bank Health Society Ltd	RBHSAgreed to merge into GMHBA, expected early 2027 subject to approval.	Current or former Reserve Bank and Note Printing Australia employees and their families.	under 0.1%	Not-for-profit	Wollongong, NSW
Hunter Health Insurance Cessnock District Health Benefits Fund Limited	Hunter Health Insurance	Anyone	under 0.1%	Not-for-profit	Cessnock, NSW

Read 14 October 2026 from APRA's register, each insurer's privatehealth.gov.au page and each brand's own site; performance figures read 14 October 2026. CBHS Corporate Health Pty Ltd: Merged into CBHS Health Fund on 1 June 2026; APRA's register, last updated 30 July 2026, still lists it. Brands are listed only where the government's policy data (1 October 2026 release) shows open policies sold under them, so Federation Health and MyOwn, which have none, are not listed. Something out of date? Email jarred@referlabs.com.au.

How this section is regulated

Refer Labs is Pepform Pty Ltd trading as Refer Labs, ABN 32 660 008 159. The rules that apply to this section, and how we meet each one:

Not a financial product: Health insurance is excluded from the definition of a financial product by s765A(1)(c) of the Corporations Act 2001, so the financial services licensing regime does not apply to it. Refer Labs holds no Australian Financial Services Licence, and this section does not cover life, income protection, travel or pet insurance, which are financial products.
Not an insurer or a broker: Only APRA-registered insurers can offer health insurance. Refer Labs does not sell, arrange or hold policies, does not act for you with an insurer, and gives general information only, not personal advice. You join an insurer on its own site, under its own terms.
Commercial relationships: Refer Labs has no agreement with any health insurer. If that changes, each insurer that pays us will be marked beside its name, in line with the ACCC's guidance for comparison sites, and the figures shown for every insurer will not change.
Figures and rankings: The performance figures are privatehealth.gov.au's, reproduced unchanged with their source. We do not rate insurers or policies, combine the figures into a score, or describe any insurer as the best or cheapest. The reader chooses the sort order.
Industry codes: Insurers' Private Health Insurance Code of Conduct requires intermediaries they work with to disclose commission arrangements and their relationship with the insurer. Refer Labs is not a member of the Private Health Insurance Intermediaries Association, and intends to meet its code's disclosure standards before any insurer agreement starts.
Names and logos: Insurer and brand names and logos are trade marks of their owners. They appear only to identify each insurer; no insurer has endorsed this page or is affiliated with Refer Labs.
Privacy: Health information is sensitive information under the Privacy Act, and this section does not ask for it. The waitlist takes an email address only. The estimator runs in your browser and nothing typed into it is sent or stored. See our privacy policy.
Complaints: About this page: email jarred@referlabs.com.au, and we reply within 10 working days. About an insurer or a policy: contact the insurer first, then the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman, part of the Commonwealth Ombudsman, which takes complaints about insurers, health care providers and brokers free of charge.

The financial-product exclusion is Corporations Act s765A(1)(c); the Ombudsman's jurisdiction over insurers, providers and brokers is Ombudsman Act 1976 s20F.

Common questions

How many health insurers are there in Australia?

27 operate today. APRA's register, last updated 30 July 2026, lists 28, but CBHS Corporate Health merged into CBHS on 1 June 2026. Of the 27, 19 are open to anyone and 8 accept only people in a particular occupation, employer or union and their families. Counted on 14 October 2026.

Which health insurance brands are owned by the same insurer?

ahm is Medibank; ING, Qantas, Real, Seniors, AAMI, Apia and Suncorp health cover is issued by nib; see-u and Queensland Country Health Fund are HBF; Frank is GMHBA; RT Health is HCF. Teachers Health also sells as Nurses & Midwives Health, UniHealth, TUH and Union Health, and nib also owns GU Health. Brands under one insurer are policies of the same registered insurer, and the government reports one set of performance figures for all of them, so check the insurer named on the policy statement as well as the brand.

Which health fund is the best in Australia?

There is no single answer, because the right policy depends on what you need covered, where you live and which hospitals you use. What can be compared is how each insurer performs on the government's own measures, published on privatehealth.gov.au: complaints against market share, the share of hospital charges covered, medical services with no gap, extras paid back and premiums returned as benefits. The comparison on this page lets you sort every insurer by each of them.

Do I have to pay the Medicare levy surcharge in 2026-27?

Only if your income for surcharge purposes is above $105,000 as a single or $210,000 as a family (plus $1,500 for each dependent child after the first) and you do not hold an appropriate level of private hospital cover. The surcharge is 1%, 1.25% or 1.5% depending on income. Extras-only cover does not count, and a hospital policy only counts if its excess is $750 or less for a single policy or $1,500 or less for any other. Source: the ATO, read 14 October 2026.

What is Lifetime Health Cover loading?

A 2% loading on the hospital part of your premium for every year you are over 30 when you first take out hospital cover, if you join after the 1 July following your 31st birthday. It is capped at 70% and removed after 10 continuous years of cover. You can be without hospital cover for a total of 1,094 days in your lifetime without losing your position. It does not apply to extras. Source: privatehealth.gov.au.

Does private health insurance cover weight loss surgery?

Gold hospital policies must. Weight loss surgery is one of the nine clinical categories only Gold has to include; a Bronze Plus or Silver Plus policy may add it, so check the policy's Private Health Information Statement. Waiting periods apply, up to 12 months if the insurer treats the condition as pre-existing. Sleep studies are also in the Gold-only group.

How much did health insurance premiums rise in 2026?

The Government approved an average increase of 4.41% from 1 April 2026, up from 3.73% in 2025. Each insurer's rise differs. For 2027, insurers apply to the Minister by 11 November 2026 and new premiums take effect on 1 April 2027.

Can I switch health funds without serving waiting periods again?

For the same or a lower level of cover, yes: the new insurer can only apply whatever was left of a waiting period you had not finished. Waiting periods can apply to benefits that are higher or new. To count as a transfer the gap between policies is generally no more than 7 days and premiums must be paid up.

Does Refer Labs earn anything from this page?

No. Refer Labs has no agreement with any health insurer, and this page links to no insurer's site. We intend to seek agreements directly with insurers. When one exists, the page will say which insurers pay us, beside their names, and every insurer will stay listed with the same figures whether it pays us or not.

Does Refer Labs need a licence to compare health insurance?

Private health insurance is not a financial product under the Corporations Act (s765A(1)(c)), so the financial services licensing regime does not apply to it, and no separate licence exists for comparing it. Refer Labs holds no Australian Financial Services Licence and does not cover life, income protection, travel or pet insurance in this section. Consumer law, privacy law and, once we work with insurers, their code of conduct do apply, and we follow them.

Where can I compare every health insurance policy today?

privatehealth.gov.au, run by the Commonwealth Ombudsman, lists every policy from every insurer with its Private Health Information Statement. It is free and earns nothing from your choice.

General information only. It does not take your circumstances into account and is not financial, tax or medical advice. How we make money · Everything we're building · All guides

Health insurance in Australia: every insurer, and who owns each brand

A policy comparison is expected in early 2027

Built from the government's monthly policy data. Refer Labs has no agreement with any insurer today, and this page earns nothing. Any insurer that pays us in future will be marked as one.

Hear when it opens

One email at launch. Your email only; no health, income or cover details.

Which health insurance brands are owned by the same insurer?

Four same-insurer pairs, compared

26.5%

25.5%

12.8%

9.8%

7.9%

17.5%

Medibank, Bupa, HCF, nib, HBF, then the other 22. Market share as shown on privatehealth.gov.au.

Medibank
26.5% of the market, open to anyone
Medibank · ahm
HCF
12.8% of the market, open to anyone
HCF · RT Health
nib
9.8% of the market, open to anyone
nib · GU Health · ING · Qantas Health Insurance · Real Health Insurance · Seniors Health Insurance · AAMI Health Insurance · Apia Health Insurance · Suncorp Health Insurance
ING, Qantas, Real, Seniors, AAMI, Apia and Suncorp health cover is issued by nib and marketed by each of those companies.
HBF
7.9% of the market, open to anyone
HBF · see-u by HBF · Queensland Country Health Fund
Teachers Health
2.6% of the market, restricted
Teachers Health · Nurses & Midwives Health · UniHealth · TUH · Union Health
GMHBA
2.1% of the market, open to anyone
GMHBA · Frank
St.Lukes Health
0.6% of the market, open to anyone
St.Lukes Health · Astute Simplicity Health

Every insurer on the government's performance figures

Look up any health insurance brand

Who can join

Figures for

Sort by

Not-for-profit insurers only

Showing 19 insurers

This insurer Industry resultFigures from privatehealth.gov.au, read 14 October 2026. Whole insurer, all brands, not any one policy.

Medibank
Open to anyone · For-profit · 26.5% of the market
Also sold as ahm
Complaints: 23.9% of all complaints to the Ombudsman, with 26.5% of the market
Hospital charges covered
89.6% industry 89.0%
Medical services with no gap
81.8% industry 87.1%
Extras charges paid back
51.3% industry 50.7%
Premiums paid back as benefits
85.6% industry 84.5%
Hospital members who stayed
85.4% industry 85.0%
Management costs
7.6% industry 10.9%
Bupa
Open to anyone · For-profit · 25.5% of the market
Complaints: 25.2% of all complaints to the Ombudsman, with 25.5% of the market
Hospital charges covered
89.0% industry 89.0%
Medical services with no gap
90.2% industry 87.1%
Extras charges paid back
51.3% industry 50.7%
Premiums paid back as benefits
82.4% industry 84.5%
Hospital members who stayed
86.1% industry 85.0%
Management costs
11.3% industry 10.9%
HCF
Open to anyone · Not-for-profit · 12.8% of the market
Also sold as RT Health
Complaints: 12.1% of all complaints to the Ombudsman, with 12.8% of the market
Hospital charges covered
88.3% industry 89.0%
Medical services with no gap
85.4% industry 87.1%
Extras charges paid back
50.7% industry 50.7%
Premiums paid back as benefits
87.8% industry 84.5%
Hospital members who stayed
83.7% industry 85.0%
Management costs
12.4% industry 10.9%
nib
Open to anyone · For-profit · 9.8% of the market
Also sold as GU Health, ING, Qantas Health Insurance, Real Health Insurance, Seniors Health Insurance, AAMI Health Insurance, Apia Health Insurance, Suncorp Health Insurance
Complaints: 9.6% of all complaints to the Ombudsman, with 9.8% of the market
Hospital charges covered
85.8% industry 89.0%
Medical services with no gap
88.8% industry 87.1%
Extras charges paid back
58.0% industry 50.7%
Premiums paid back as benefits
82.0% industry 84.5%
Hospital members who stayed
79.0% industry 85.0%
Management costs
10.7% industry 10.9%
HBF
Open to anyone · Not-for-profit · 7.9% of the market
Also sold as see-u by HBF, Queensland Country Health Fund
Complaints: 4.4% of all complaints to the Ombudsman, with 7.9% of the market
Hospital charges covered
91.1% industry 89.0%
Medical services with no gap
92.7% industry 87.1%
Extras charges paid back
52.3% industry 50.7%
Premiums paid back as benefits
82.2% industry 84.5%
Hospital members who stayed
88.4% industry 85.0%
Management costs
13.4% industry 10.9%
Australian Unity
Open to anyone · For-profit · 2.1% of the market
Complaints: 2.7% of all complaints to the Ombudsman, with 2.1% of the market
Hospital charges covered
89.5% industry 89.0%
Medical services with no gap
90.6% industry 87.1%
Extras charges paid back
49.3% industry 50.7%
Premiums paid back as benefits
81.6% industry 84.5%
Hospital members who stayed
81.4% industry 85.0%
Management costs
12.2% industry 10.9%
GMHBA
Open to anyone · Not-for-profit · 2.1% of the market
Also sold as Frank
Complaints: 1.8% of all complaints to the Ombudsman, with 2.1% of the market
Hospital charges covered
89.2% industry 89.0%
Medical services with no gap
86.3% industry 87.1%
Extras charges paid back
45.6% industry 50.7%
Premiums paid back as benefits
81.9% industry 84.5%
Hospital members who stayed
79.9% industry 85.0%
Management costs
14.5% industry 10.9%
Westfund
Open to anyone · Not-for-profit · 0.9% of the market
Complaints: 0.6% of all complaints to the Ombudsman, with 0.9% of the market
Hospital charges covered
89.3% industry 89.0%
Medical services with no gap
89.7% industry 87.1%
Extras charges paid back
43.1% industry 50.7%
Premiums paid back as benefits
83.1% industry 84.5%
Hospital members who stayed
86.3% industry 85.0%
Management costs
12.6% industry 10.9%

What each measure means

Complaints relative to size: The insurer's share of complaints to the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman, against its share of the market. When sorting by this, insurers under 0.5% of the market are placed last, because their complaint numbers are too small to compare.
Hospital charges covered: Share of hospital-related charges the insurer paid for its members.
Medical services with no gap: Share of in-hospital medical services billed with no out-of-pocket gap.
Extras charges paid back: Share of extras (dental, optical, physio and so on) charges the insurer paid.
Premiums paid back as benefits: Benefits paid as a share of premium income, across the whole insurer.
Hospital members who stayed: Share of hospital-cover members retained over the year.
Management costs: Management expenses as a share of premium income.

Your surcharge, rebate and loading

Medicare levy surcharge, 2026-27

Enter an income to see it.

Your rebate rate

Needs your income and the oldest person's age.

Lifetime Health Cover

Needs your date of birth.

How do I compare two health insurance policies?

Six things decide whether a policy suits you, roughly in the order they rule policies in or out.

Hospital, extras or both.: Hospital cover is what the surcharge and Lifetime Health Cover rules apply to. Extras pay towards dental, optical, physio and similar services; they do not count for the surcharge or the loading, though the rebate applies to them.
The tier you need.: Pregnancy and birth, joint replacements, cataracts, weight loss surgery and sleep studies are Gold-only categories, unless a Plus policy adds them. The full lists are further down this page.
The excess.: To count against the surcharge, the excess can be no more than $750 for one person or $1,500 for anyone else. A higher excess lowers the premium and may not count.
The information statement.: Every policy has a Private Health Information Statement in the same government format: tier, what is covered or restricted, waiting periods and excess. It is the document to put side by side.
Agreement hospitals and gap cover.: Whether your hospital has an agreement with the insurer, and whether your doctor uses its gap scheme, affect what you pay out of pocket. Each insurer's no-gap and hospital-charge figures are in the comparison above.
Timing a switch.: Waiting periods already served carry over for the same or lower cover when the gap between policies is short. New or higher benefits can start new waiting periods.

Do I have to pay the Medicare levy surcharge?

Medicare levy surcharge income thresholds and rates, 2026-27
2026-27	Singles	Families	Surcharge
Base tier	$105,000 or less	$210,000 or less	0%
Tier 1	$105,001 to $123,000	$210,001 to $246,000	1%
Tier 2	$123,001 to $164,000	$246,001 to $328,000	1.25%
Tier 3	$164,001 or more	$328,001 or more	1.5%

Sources: ATO, thresholds and rates; ATO, appropriate level of cover. Read 14 October 2026.

What is Lifetime Health Cover loading?

It applies to hospital cover only, and the rebate does not reduce it.
You can be without hospital cover for a total of 1,094 days in your lifetime without the loading starting.
Couples pay the average of the two adults' loadings.
People born on or before 1 July 1934 are exempt. New migrants have until the first anniversary of full Medicare registration.
Separately, insurers may offer people aged 18 to 29 a discount of up to 10% on hospital cover, kept until 41. It is optional for insurers; which insurers offer it.

Sources: privatehealth.gov.au, Lifetime Health Cover; age-based discount; Private Health Insurance Act 2007 s37. Read 14 October 2026.

How much is the private health insurance rebate?

The government pays part of your premium. The rate falls as income rises (on the surcharge tiers above) and rises with the age of the oldest person on the policy. From 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027:

Private health insurance rebate, 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027
Oldest on policy	Base tier	Tier 1	Tier 2	Tier 3
Under 65	24.118%	16.079%	8.038%	0%
65 to 69	28.139%	20.098%	12.058%	0%
70 and over	32.158%	24.118%	16.079%	0%

A bill before the Senate would give people aged 65 and over the under-65 rates from 1 April 2027. It passed the House of Representatives on 16 September 2026 and was not law as at 14 October 2026.

Sources: Health circular PHI 12/26; Parliament, the rebate bill. Read 14 October 2026.

What do Gold, Silver, Bronze and Basic hospital cover include?

Silver adds

Heart and vascular system
Lung and chest
Blood
Back, neck and spine
Plastic and reconstructive surgery (medically necessary)
Dental surgery
Podiatric surgery (provided by a registered podiatric surgeon)
Implantation of hearing devices

Only Gold must include

Cataracts
Joint replacements
Dialysis for chronic kidney failure
Pregnancy and birth
Assisted reproductive services
Weight loss surgery
Insulin pumps
Pain management with device
Sleep studies

Source: privatehealth.gov.au, product tiers. Read 14 October 2026.

What waiting periods apply when I join or switch?

Sources: privatehealth.gov.au, waiting periods; Private Health Insurance Act 2007 ss75-1, 78-1; Minister for Health; circular PHI 78/26.

How many health insurers are there in Australia?

Insurer	Brands	Who can join	Share	Type	Based in
Medibank Medibank Private Limited	Medibank, ahm	Anyone	26.5%	For-profit	Docklands, VIC
Bupa BUPA HI Pty Ltd	Bupa	Anyone	25.5%	For-profit	Melbourne, VIC
HCF The Hospitals Contribution Fund of Australia Ltd	HCF, RT HealthRT Health merged into HCF in 2021; the RT Health brand continues.	Anyone	12.8%	Not-for-profit	Sydney, NSW
nib NIB Health Funds Ltd	nib, GU Health, ING, Qantas Health Insurance, Real Health Insurance, Seniors Health Insurance, AAMI Health Insurance, Apia Health Insurance, Suncorp Health Insurance	Anyone	9.8%	For-profit	Newcastle, NSW
HBF HBF Health Limited	HBF, see-u by HBF, Queensland Country Health FundBought CUA Health in 2021 (now see-u by HBF); Queensland Country Health Fund joined HBF on 1 July 2023.	Anyone	7.9%	Not-for-profit	Perth, WA
Teachers Health Teachers Federation Health Ltd	Teachers Health, Nurses & Midwives Health, UniHealth, TUH, Union HealthNurses & Midwives Health merged in on 1 January 2022; TUH merged in on 1 July 2025.	Current or former members of eligible unions (education, nursing and others) and their families.	2.6%	Not-for-profit	Sydney, NSW
Australian Unity Australian Unity Health Limited	Australian Unity	Anyone	2.1%	For-profit	Melbourne, VIC
GMHBA GMHBA Limited	GMHBA, Frankhealth.com.au policies moved to Frank in July 2021. Has an agreement to take over Reserve Bank Health Society, expected early 2027 subject to approval.	Anyone	2.1%	Not-for-profit	Geelong, VIC
Defence Health Defence Health Limited	Defence Health	Current or former ADF members, Defence employees and suppliers, and their families.	1.9%	Not-for-profit	Melbourne, VIC
CBHS CBHS Health Fund Limited	CBHSCBHS Corporate Health merged into CBHS on 1 June 2026.	Current or former Commonwealth Bank Group employees and their families, and former CBHS Corporate members.	1.4%	Not-for-profit	Parramatta, NSW
Westfund Westfund Limited	Westfund	Anyone	0.9%	Not-for-profit	Lithgow, NSW
Latrobe Health Latrobe Health Services Limited	Latrobe Health	Anyone	0.7%	Not-for-profit	Newborough, VIC
HIF Health Insurance Fund of Australia Limited	HIF	Anyone	0.6%	Not-for-profit	Perth, WA
Doctors' Health Fund The Doctors' Health Fund Pty Ltd	Doctors' Health Fund	Medical and listed allied health practitioners, students, their staff and families.	0.6%	For-profit	Sydney, NSW
Health Partners Health Partners Limited	Health Partners	Anyone	0.6%	Not-for-profit	Adelaide, SA
Police Health Police Health Limited	Police HealthRetired its Emergency Services Health brand in 2026.	The police community: serving and former officers, employees, volunteers and their families.	0.6%	Not-for-profit	Adelaide, SA
St.Lukes Health St Luke's Medical and Hospital Benefits Association	St.Lukes Health, Astute Simplicity Health	Anyone	0.6%	Not-for-profit	Launceston, TAS
AIA Health AIA Health Insurance Pty Ltd	AIA HealthReplaced myOwn, which closed to new business in March 2020.	Anyone	0.5%	For-profit	Melbourne, VIC
Peoplecare Peoplecare Health Limited	Peoplecare	Anyone	0.5%	Not-for-profit	Wollongong, NSW
Navy Health Navy Health Ltd	Navy Health	The ADF community, Defence civilians and contractors, cadets, and their families.	0.4%	Not-for-profit	Surrey Hills, VIC
Mildura Health Fund Mildura District Hospital Fund Ltd	Mildura Health Fund	Anyone	0.3%	Not-for-profit	Mildura, VIC
Phoenix Health Fund Phoenix Health Fund Limited	Phoenix Health Fund	Anyone	0.2%	Not-for-profit	Newcastle, NSW
onemedifund National Health Benefits Australia Pty Ltd	onemedifund	Anyone	0.1%	For-profit	Sydney Olympic Park, NSW
HCi Health Care Insurance Ltd	HCi	Anyone	0.1%	Not-for-profit	Burnie, TAS
ACA Health ACA Health Benefits Fund Limited	ACA Health	Seventh-day Adventist Church employees, local church officers and their families.	0.1%	Not-for-profit	Wahroonga, NSW
RBHS Reserve Bank Health Society Ltd	RBHSAgreed to merge into GMHBA, expected early 2027 subject to approval.	Current or former Reserve Bank and Note Printing Australia employees and their families.	under 0.1%	Not-for-profit	Wollongong, NSW
Hunter Health Insurance Cessnock District Health Benefits Fund Limited	Hunter Health Insurance	Anyone	under 0.1%	Not-for-profit	Cessnock, NSW

How this section is regulated

Refer Labs is Pepform Pty Ltd trading as Refer Labs, ABN 32 660 008 159. The rules that apply to this section, and how we meet each one:

Not a financial product: Health insurance is excluded from the definition of a financial product by s765A(1)(c) of the Corporations Act 2001, so the financial services licensing regime does not apply to it. Refer Labs holds no Australian Financial Services Licence, and this section does not cover life, income protection, travel or pet insurance, which are financial products.
Not an insurer or a broker: Only APRA-registered insurers can offer health insurance. Refer Labs does not sell, arrange or hold policies, does not act for you with an insurer, and gives general information only, not personal advice. You join an insurer on its own site, under its own terms.
Commercial relationships: Refer Labs has no agreement with any health insurer. If that changes, each insurer that pays us will be marked beside its name, in line with the ACCC's guidance for comparison sites, and the figures shown for every insurer will not change.
Figures and rankings: The performance figures are privatehealth.gov.au's, reproduced unchanged with their source. We do not rate insurers or policies, combine the figures into a score, or describe any insurer as the best or cheapest. The reader chooses the sort order.
Industry codes: Insurers' Private Health Insurance Code of Conduct requires intermediaries they work with to disclose commission arrangements and their relationship with the insurer. Refer Labs is not a member of the Private Health Insurance Intermediaries Association, and intends to meet its code's disclosure standards before any insurer agreement starts.
Names and logos: Insurer and brand names and logos are trade marks of their owners. They appear only to identify each insurer; no insurer has endorsed this page or is affiliated with Refer Labs.
Privacy: Health information is sensitive information under the Privacy Act, and this section does not ask for it. The waitlist takes an email address only. The estimator runs in your browser and nothing typed into it is sent or stored. See our privacy policy.
Complaints: About this page: email jarred@referlabs.com.au, and we reply within 10 working days. About an insurer or a policy: contact the insurer first, then the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman, part of the Commonwealth Ombudsman, which takes complaints about insurers, health care providers and brokers free of charge.

The financial-product exclusion is Corporations Act s765A(1)(c); the Ombudsman's jurisdiction over insurers, providers and brokers is Ombudsman Act 1976 s20F.

Common questions

How many health insurers are there in Australia?

Which health insurance brands are owned by the same insurer?

Which health fund is the best in Australia?

Do I have to pay the Medicare levy surcharge in 2026-27?

What is Lifetime Health Cover loading?

Does private health insurance cover weight loss surgery?

How much did health insurance premiums rise in 2026?

Can I switch health funds without serving waiting periods again?

Does Refer Labs earn anything from this page?

Does Refer Labs need a licence to compare health insurance?

Where can I compare every health insurance policy today?

privatehealth.gov.au, run by the Commonwealth Ombudsman, lists every policy from every insurer with its Private Health Information Statement. It is free and earns nothing from your choice.

General information only. It does not take your circumstances into account and is not financial, tax or medical advice. How we make money · Everything we're building · All guides