Families

Health Insurance for Families

Family cover is one policy covering everyone — and additional children cost nothing extra. Here's what your family actually needs, what it costs, and the smart choices that save you money without compromising care.

Extra cost per additional child on policy

$202k

Family MLS threshold 2025–26

2 months

Window to add newborn with no wait

How Family Policies Work

A family health insurance policy covers two adults and all dependent children on one premium. Key features:

Additional children cost nothing extra

A family with one child pays the same premium as a family with four. Every additional child is added to the policy at zero extra cost.

Children covered to age 21 (or 25 if studying)

Dependent children remain on the family policy until age 21, or 25 if they're in full-time study. When they leave the policy, they take their served waiting periods with them.

Single parent families pay less

Most funds offer single parent family policies — covering one adult and children at a lower premium than a two-adult family policy.

What Hospital Cover Matters for Families

Tier	Key family benefits	Est. family premium†
Bronze	Accidents, ENT (grommets, tonsils), bone/joint, gynecology, cancer	$160–$240/mo
Silver	All Bronze + cardiac, spinal, back, dental surgery under GA, mental health	$230–$320/mo
Gold	All Silver + pregnancy/birth, joint replacements, cataracts, IVF, weight loss surgery	$320–$430/mo

†Estimated range after government rebate at Base tier. Actual premiums vary by fund, state, ages, and excess. Hospital tier categories sourced from privatehealth.gov.au.

Our take for most families

Silver hospital + mid-tier extras covers the realistic hospital needs of most Australian families — including kids' ENT procedures, cardiac, spinal, and dental surgery under general anaesthetic. Gold is only worth it if you're planning another pregnancy or specifically need Gold-only benefits.

Find the right cover for your family

Our agents compare family policies across our fund panel — real price after the rebate, with the right hospitals for your area included.

Compare family cover →

Adding a Newborn: The 2-Month Rule

When a baby is born, you have 2 months from the date of birth to add them to your policy with no waiting periods. Miss this window and standard waiting periods apply — including potentially a 12-month wait for pre-existing conditions that emerge in the first year of life.

Set a reminder now

Don't wait until the deadline. Call your fund in the first few weeks home from hospital. You'll need the baby's name and date of birth. The process takes less than 10 minutes. Source: privatehealth.gov.au — Waiting Periods

Extras Cover for Families

High-value extras for families with kids:

🦷 Dental checkups from age 2

👓 Optical — glasses at school age

🦷 Orthodontics ($6k–$10k without cover)

🏃 Physio & OT for development

Orthodontics waiting periods are typically 12 months. If your child might need braces, make sure you're on a policy with orthodontic extras and the waiting period is already running.

Common Questions

When should we upgrade from couples to family cover?+

As soon as your baby is born (or before, if you know you'll be adding a newborn). Most funds process the upgrade immediately and you can add the baby in the same call.

Our kids are on our policy — what happens when they turn 21?+

They need to take out their own individual policy. Their served waiting periods carry across to their new policy. Make sure they get their own cover before they come off yours — gaps can affect LHC loading.

We're separated — who keeps the family policy?+

This is a common situation. Children can only be on one policy at a time. Our agents help you work out the best structure for shared custody situations.

Does the family MLS threshold include both partners' incomes?+

Yes — the family MLS threshold ($202,000 for 2025–26) is based on the combined income of both partners. It increases by $1,500 per dependent child after the first.