Need to know
- With reports that health funds are planning a large premium increase, now is the time to compare policies and make sure you're still on the best deal
- Big funds like Medibank, Bupa and NIB as well as a range of smaller funds are all offering sign-up deals to entice new members
- We've come across a range of discounts and promo deals, including 4–12 weeks of free cover and gift cards
This year we're expecting a larger than usual health insurance premium increase, so it's a good time to compare your cover and make sure you're still on the best deal. If you find a better policy, check whether you can also benefit from a sign-up deal when switching your cover.
We've seen offers like 4–12 weeks of free cover, up to 140,000 Frequent Flyer points, and gift cards valued at up to $500. Some funds are also waiving waiting periods for services such as dental, optical or physiotherapy if you switch your cover.
Now is the perfect time to compare health insurance policies to make sure you're not paying more than you need to. We've gone through dozens of health insurer websites to find out what they're offering, so read on to see whether you can snap up a good deal.
In March 2024 offers are available for:
- AAMI
- AHM
- AIA
- Apia
- Australian Seniors
- Australian Unity
- Bupa
- CBHS – this is a restricted membership fund
- Commonwealth Bank (AIA)
- Doctors' Heath – this is a restricted membership fund
- Frank
- GMHBA
- Health Partners
- HIF
- ING
- Latrobe
- Medibank
- Navy Health – this is a restricted membership fund
- Nurses & Midwives – this is a restricted membership fund
- NIB
- Peoplecare
- Qantas
- Queensland Country Health
- RT Health
- St.LukesHealth
- Suncorp
- Teachers Health – this is a restricted membership fund
- Union Health (TUH) – this is a restricted membership fund
- Westfund.
When is a health insurance deal a good deal?
A health insurance sign-up offer is a welcome bonus when switching your health insurance. Conditions apply and the best offers are often only available if you take out a top cover hospital and extras combined policy, so make sure the policy meets your needs and budget. A few weeks of free cover can be very costly in the long run if you take out a bad-value health insurance policy.
When comparing these deals, keep in mind that a better-value option may be to drop your extras insurance altogether (especially if you're not using it as much as you thought you would). Read our advice on whether you need extras health insurance.
A few weeks of free cover can be very costly in the long run if you take out a bad-value policy
Many health insurers also offer to waive some extras policy waiting periods, which is useful when taking out health insurance for the first time or when switching to a higher cover policy. If you currently have health insurance, you normally don't need to re-serve waiting periods when you switch.
Offers usually aren't available to current customers. Enter the promo code to receive the offer and be sure to take out the policy directly with the insurer, as policies taken out through commercial comparison websites often aren't eligible.
CHOICE tip: It never hurts to ask, even if the fund you want to join doesn't currently offer a deal. A CHOICE staff member was offered six weeks of free cover from a health fund even though this offer wasn't publicly advertised.
Health insurance deals from Bupa, Medibank and NIB
If you take out a combined hospital and extras policy with Bupa, you'll get:
- 10 weeks of free cover (6 weeks in the first year of membership; 4 weeks in the second)
- immediate cover for extras items that usually have a 2- or 6-month waiting period.
Offer expires 13 March 2024. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
If you take out combined hospital (Bronze level and above) and extras policies with Medibank, you'll get:
- 6 weeks of free cover
- immediate cover for extras items that usually have a 2- or 6-month waiting period
- a gift card or premium discount issued as points*.
*Points will be issued through the Medibank rewards program and can be exchanged for gift cards or membership premium discounts up to the value of $200 for singles/single parents and $400 for couples/families.
Offer expires 31 March 2024. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
Medibank (extras only)
If you take out an extras only policy with Medibank, you'll get:
- 6 weeks of free cover
- immediate cover for extras items that usually have a 2- or 6-month waiting period
- $50 gift card, issued as points*.
*Points will be issued through the Medibank rewards program and can be exchanged for gift cards up to the value of $50 with one of Medibank's partners.
Offer expires 11 April 2024. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
Note: These deals are based on information collected from health fund websites on 4 March 2024. Conditions and exclusions apply, so make sure you understand all terms and conditions before taking out cover.
Health insurance sign-up offers from Australian Unity, GMHBA, ING, Qantas, Suncorp and more
If you take out a combined hospital and extras policy with AHM, you'll get:
- 8 weeks of free cover (6 weeks in the first year of membership; 2 weeks in the second).
- immediate cover for extras items that usually have a 2- or 6-month waiting period.
No expiry date given. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
AHM (extras only)
If you take out an extras only policy with AHM, you'll get:
Offer expires: 1 April 2024. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
If you take out a combined hospital and extras policy with AIA (not available for Silver Plus Family Hospital or Gold hospital), you'll get:
- 12 weeks free over three years (six weeks in the first year and 3 weeks in the second and third year)
Offer expires 29 March 2024. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
AIA hospital only offer
If you take out a combined hospital with AIA (not available for Silver Plus Family Hospital or Gold hospital), you'll get:
- 6 weeks free over two years (four weeks in the first year and two weeks in the second year)
Offer expires 28 March 2024. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
If you take out a combined hospital and extras policy with Australian Seniors, you'll get:
- $600 premium discount (families, couples, single parents)
- $300 premium discount (singles).
Offer expires 31 March 2024. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
CBHS is a restricted fund exclusive to current and former employees of the Commonwealth Bank Group and their families. If you take out a combined hospital and extras policy with CBHS, you'll get:
- 4 weeks of free cover
- immediate cover for extras items that usually have a 2- or 6-month waiting period
- $200 gift card, if you join via the CBHS website.
Offer expires 39 April 2024. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
If you take out a combined hospital and extras policy with CommBank/AIA (not available for Silver Plus Family hospital or Gold hospital), you'll get:
- up to $900 cash back over two years ($600 in the first year of membership; $300 in the second for a family or couple, based on CommBank/AIA's most expensive Silver Plus hospital policy. Singles and single parents receive half of this amount.
The cash back offer is lower on other policy types.
Offer expires 31 March 2024. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
CommBank hospital only offer
If you take out a hospital only policy with CommBank/AIA (not available for Silver Plus Family hospital or Gold hospital), you'll get:
- up to $600 cash back over two years ($400 in the first year of membership; $200 in the second for a family or couple, based on CommBank's most expensive Silver Plus hospital policy. Singles and single parents receive half of this amount).
The cash back offer is lower on other policy types.
Offer expires 31 March 2024. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
This health fund is restricted to healthcare professionals and their families. If you take out a combined hospital and extras policy with Doctors' Heath, you'll get:
- 8 weeks of free cover
- immediate cover for extras items that usually have a 2-month waiting period.
Offer expires 8 April 2024. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
If you take out a combined hospital and extras policy with Frank, you'll get:
- 6 weeks of free cover
- immediate cover for extras items that usually have a 2-month waiting period.
Offer expires 15 April 2024. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
If you take out a combined hospital and extras policy with GMHBA, you'll get:
- 6 weeks of free cover
- immediate cover for extras items that usually have a 2-month waiting period.
Offer expires 15 April 2024. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
If you take out a combined hospital and extras policy with Health Partners, you'll get:
- 8 weeks of free cover (4 weeks in the first year of membership; 4 weeks in the second)
- immediate cover for extras items that usually have a 2-month waiting period.
Offer expires 31 March 2024. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
If you take out a combined hospital and extras policy with HIF, you'll get:
- immediate cover for extras items that usually have a 2-month waiting period.
Offer expires 31 March 2024. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
If you take out a combined hospital and extras policy with ING, you'll get:
- 8 weeks of free cover
- immediate cover for extras items that usually have a 2- or 6-month waiting period.
Offer expires 30 April 2024. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
Navy Health is a restricted fund for all serving and ex-serving members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and their families. If you take out a combined hospital and extras policy with Navy Health, you'll get:
- 6 weeks of free cover
- immediate cover for extras items and those that usually have 2- and 6-month waiting periods.
Offer expires 31 March 2024. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
Nurses & Midwives Health is a restricted fund for nurses, midwives and their families. If you take out a combined hospital and extras policy with Nurses & Midwives Health, you'll get:
- one month of free cover
- immediate cover for extras items and those that usually have 2- and 6-month waiting periods.
Offer expires 14 March 2024. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
If you take out a combined hospital and extras policy with Peoplecare, you'll get:
- 8 weeks of free cover (4 weeks after 60 days, and another 4 weeks after 13 months)
- immediate cover for extras items and those that usually have 2- and 6-month waiting periods.
Offer expires 30 April 2024. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
Qantas has a range of offers depending on which type of health insurance policy you take out.
- Combined hospital and extras policies: Families, couples and single parents receive between 22,000 and 140,000 Qantas Frequent Flyer points, depending on your level of cover (up to 112,000 points after 60 days and up to an additional 28,000 points after 180 days).
- Combined hospital and extras policies: Singles receive between 11,000 and 70,000 Qantas Frequent Flyer points, depending on your level of cover (up to 56,000 points after 60 days and up to an additional 14,000 points after 180 days).
- Hospital only policies: Up to 55,200 Qantas Frequent Flyer points for families, couples and single parents, and up to 27,600 points for singles.
- Extras only policies: Up to 38,400 Qantas Frequent Flyer points for families, couples and single parents, and up to 19,200 points for singles.
These offers also include immediate cover for extras items that usually have a 2- or 6-month waiting period.
Offer expires 5 April 2024. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
If you take out a hospital only or combined hospital and extras policy (Bronze/Bronze Plus and Silver/Silver Plus cover) with Queensland Country Health, you'll get:
Offer expires 30 April 2024. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
If you take out a combined hospital and extras policy with St.LukesHealth, you'll get:
- 6 weeks of free cover
- immediate cover for extras items and those that usually have 2-, 3- and 6-month waiting periods.
Offer expires 31 March 2024. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
This health fund is restricted to members of an education union and their families. If you take out a combined hospital and extras policy with Teachers Health, you'll get:
- one month of free cover
- immediate cover for extras items and those that usually have 2- and 6-month waiting periods.
Offer expires 14 March 2024. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
Union Health (TUH) is a restricted fund for past and present members of a union and their family members. If you take out a health insurance policy with Union Health, you'll get:
- 8 weeks of free cover (4 weeks after 30 days and 4 weeks after 14 months).
Offer expires 5 April 2024. Check the fine print on the insurer's website.
Note: These sign-up offers are based on information collected from health fund websites on 4 March 2024. Conditions and exclusions apply, so make sure you understand all terms and conditions before taking out cover.
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
