How Much Does ACL Surgery Cost?

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What is ACL surgery?

How much does ACL surgery cost?

Are there other out-of-pocket costs for ACL surgery?

Are there any additional or ongoing costs for ACL surgery?

How long will I have to wait for my ACL surgery?

What level of private health insurance covers ACL surgery?

Where can I find and compare health insurance?

Long story short

ACL surgery helps to restabilise your knee after tearing your ACL tendon

Less severe tears might not require surgery; instead, other medical interventions can help strengthen your knee.

Costs for ACL surgery can differ between the public and private hospital systems

If you have hospital cover, your fund might pay some or all of your surgery costs. It depends on your policy and the fund’s arrangements.

An extras policy can pay for some of your rehabilitation costs, too

Regular physiotherapy is important for your successful recovery, but it might be hard to find bulk-billing physio options.

What is ACL surgery?

Your ACL (or, more formally, anterior cruciate ligament) is one of the major stabilising ligaments in your knee. In other words, it plays a big role in keeping you upright and moving. 

So, when it tears, you might find yourself suddenly down on your knees – literally. An ACL tear can happen due to all kinds of injuries, but it’s a common occurrence in a range of sports. You’ll know if it’s happened due to the characteristic snap, crackle, or pop sound as the ligament tears (apologies if you can never look at Rice Bubbles in the same way again). 

A torn ACL doesn’t always need surgery. Strengthening your knee muscles through physiotherapy could be enough. It depends on your circumstances, though. 

An ACL surgery is usually performed arthroscopically (through keyhole surgery), so it’s minimally invasive. Using high-tech tools, your doctor will repair the ligament to stop your knee giving out as much. While your knee is unlikely to be as good as it once was, you’ll be able to get back to plenty of active pursuits.  

How much does ACL surgery cost?

The biggest impact on your ACL surgery costs is whether you opt to go public or private. 

Thanks to Medicare, your ACL surgery is free if you’re a public patient. 

On the other hand, private patients might have out-of-pocket costs. In the private system, Medicare covers 75% of the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) fee for your surgery. Then, your private health insurance covers the other 25% (assuming your policy covers ACL surgery).  

The catch is that doctors in the private system can set their own fees – these can be higher than the MBS fee, meaning you might also have a gap to pay. To get an idea of what this gap could look like, the table shows the typical fees and who paid what for ACL surgery in 2023–24. 

Typical ACL surgery costs for private patients in 2023–24

Source: Medical Costs Finder – Knee reconstruction  

Note: These are the amounts patients typically paid for these services, rounded to the nearest dollar. The paid amounts do not add up to the total typical specialist fees as dollar amounts are the medians for that dataset only. They do not include hospital payments such as excesses, co-payments, or other payments. These fees may vary depending on your situation. Not all patients had out-of-pocket costs; those who didn’t aren’t included in these figures. Data retrieved September 2025. 

But a little forward planning could minimise this gap, or at least give you some forewarning. Check to see who your health fund has no-gap arrangements with. Like the name suggests, that’s when they’ve done a deal with a provider so you don’t have a gap payment after surgery. This can include any hospital accommodation costs. 

Even if you do have a gap for your ACL surgery, you might find it all balances out when you can enjoy the benefits of being a private patient. Unlike public patients, private patients can choose their treating doctor. So, you could pick one who comes highly recommended to feel more comfortable about your surgery. As a private patient, you might also have a room to yourself in hospital – although you probably won’t need to stay more than one night for ACL surgery.

Are there other out-of-pocket costs for ACL surgery?

As a private hospital patient, you might have some additional out-of-pocket costs in the form of an excess and/or co-payment. 

An excess is a fee you pay upon admission to hospital. A co-payment is a fee you pay for every day you’re in hospital. When you take out hospital cover, you’ll choose what your excess is and if you have a co-payment.  

If you took out your cover a while ago, there’s two things you need to know: 

1. You’ll find your excess and any co-payment amounts listed in your policy documents. 
2. If you can’t remember what your excess is or if you have a co-payment, it might be time to compare hospital policy options – your cover might not fit quite as well as it used to. 

Are there any additional or ongoing costs for ACL surgery?

If you’ve torn your ACL, your treatment and recovery is more than simply surgery and bed rest. While the specifics can vary depending on your circumstances, the journey typically follows the same steps: 

1. a referral to an orthopaedic surgeon to investigate, diagnose, and plan treatment for your injury
2. an MRI scan or other diagnostic imaging test so your healthcare team better understands the situation at hand 
3. your ACL surgery
   • lots of rehabilitation, including physiotherapy, starting as soon as the day after your surgery
   • a follow-up appointment with your surgeon to check on your recovery.

As you can imagine, these steps can come with their own costs, too. What these costs look like, once again, can depend on whether you go public or private. The table shows typical fees and out-of-pocket costs for these steps to help you get a better understanding of what to expect. 

Other typical costs for ACL surgery for private patients in 2023–24

Source: Medical Costs Finder – Follow-up specialist appointment; Initial specialist appointment; MBS item 63560 

Note: Amounts are those which patients typically paid for these services, rounded to the nearest dollar. The paid amounts do not add up to the total typical specialist fees as dollar amounts are the medians for that dataset only. They do not include hospital payments such as excesses, co-payments, or other payments. These fees may vary depending on your situation. Not all patients had out-of-pocket costs; those who didn’t aren’t included in these figures. Data retrieved September 2025. 

It’s important to note that, outside of hospital, patients in the public system can also have out-of-pocket costs. For instance, physiotherapy might not always be covered by Medicare. Further, private physiotherapists can set their own fees. While we haven’t had a chance to ring every physio in the country, we have crunched the numbers for Comcare’s (the Government’s worker’s compensation entity) upper limit rate guidance for physios. The average upper limit rate they recommend for physios to charge for a standard consult and treatment is $89.66, as of 1 July 2025.¹Comcare – Rates for medical and allied health treatment; Note: Physiotherapy fees are based on relevant workers’ compensation schemes and averaged across Australia. Seeing a physiotherapist outside of a workers’ compensation scheme may mean your fees are different.  This might give you an idea of what you might be charged. 

In some instances, private patients won’t be able to use their health cover to help pay for some services, like specialist appointments and diagnostic imaging. 

However, private patients might find these additional costs are worth it when they come with the added benefits of the private system. For instance, in 2024–25 in Victoria, the median wait to see an orthopaedic specialist for an initial appointment ranged from 64 to 82 days.²Victorian Agency for Health Information – Routine first appointments But you might have a much shorter wait as a private patient, meaning you can get the whole process rolling sooner.  

Remember, too, that as a private patient, you have the option to choose your doctor. Wait time might be something you consider, or you might want to wait a little longer if that means you get to see your first pick. As a private patient, you have that control over your care. 

Helpful tip

Getting your knee moving is an important part of the recovery process after an ACL surgery. However, it needs to be done just right to avoid causing further damage. That’s what makes regular physio so important, but paying for all those sessions can be daunting. 

Thankfully, physio is a pretty common extras option. Australia is a sports-loving nation, after all. If your extras cover includes physio, your health fund will help pay for your sessions. Just keep an eye on any limits and make sure to check if you need to see a certain provider to make a claim. 

Andres Gutierrez

General Manager – Health

How long will I have to wait for my ACL surgery?

Private patients might have a quicker wait for surgery, as well as for their initial consultation. In 2023–24, public patients had a median wait of 92 days for orthopaedic surgery. On the other hand, private patients at public hospitals had a median wait of only 37 days.³Australian Institute of Health and Welfare – Australian hospital statistics 2023–24: What procedures were provided?

When you’ve torn your ACL and your knee is no longer stable, there’s the potential for further damage to your knee. For instance, if your knee gives way, it could tear the nearby meniscus. Similarly, long-term untreated damage can increase your risk of knee problems later in life, like arthritis, and even the need for a knee replacement. So, minimising surgery delays can have long-term positive benefits. 

If you’re hoping to skip the public waiting list queue, be aware that private health insurance comes with waiting periods. For hospital cover, the maximum waiting period to be covered for ACL surgery is two months. The exception is if it’s a pre-existing condition. Then, your waiting period can be as long as 12 months. If you’re an active sportsperson (even if it’s just footy with your mates), taking out cover just in case might be a good idea to get that waiting period out of the way. 

What level of private health insurance covers ACL surgery?

ACL surgery is a kind of joint reconstruction, so it’s covered on all hospital policies that are bronze tier or higher. You might find it on a basic plus policy, but it’ll likely come with restrictions. 

If you’d like eligible out-of-hospital treatment sessions covered, you’ll need to look at extras cover. A policy with physio cover could come in handy for recovery and preventing further damage, but you might want some other services covered, too.  

For instance, a dietitian could help you choose foods to aid your recovery, like getting extra protein and calcium. They could also help you manage your weight while you’re less mobile, since being overweight can increase your risk of complications. 

Where can I find and compare health insurance?

Health insurance can be a tricky world to navigate – particularly if you’re already feeling a little unsteady on your feet. But iSelect is ready to be your guide, helping you compare a range of health insurance options from different providers. It’s simple and quick. All you need to do is speak with a health insurance comparison expert on 1800 784 772 or use our online comparison tool.