While Australians can use the public health system to be treated in a public hospital as a public
patient for no charge, the public system doesn’t always cover the costs of everything
you might need to continue to be as healthy as possible. And if it’s not an emergency you might be left waiting days or months for treatment.
Private health insurance can help you fund your healthcare needs, avoid public waiting lists and
may deliver tax savings if you have a taxable income above $90,000 ($180,000 for couples).
We want to make private health insurance and healthcare in Australia easy to understand. This section is a helpful guide about Government initiatives relating to private health insurance and our Medicare system.
Do I have to have private health insurance in Australia?
For Australian residents, private health insurance is completely optional .
If you are a overseas student, visitor or worker in or coming to Australia, you’ll need private health insurance to meet your visa requirements. It’s also a great way to make sure you’re covered for the unexpected. Without private health insurance, the cost of medical treatments can be very expensive.
