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How Much Does Tubal Ligation Cost in Australia?
How Much Does Tubal Ligation Cost in Australia?
Written by
Madeline Pettet
Edited by
Ellie Garran
Reviewed by
Andres GutierrezCompare Health Insurance Policies
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What is tubal ligation?
Long story short
A tubal ligation is commonly known as ‘getting your tubes tied’
It’s a kind of female sterilisation, similar to a man getting a vasectomy.
Medicare can cover the costs of getting your tubes tied
You might need to meet some eligibility requirements in the public system.
If you use your health insurance, you pick your doctor and might even have a shorter wait
You might have some out-of-pocket costs, but the benefits of being a private patient can make them worth it.
Some extra context before you start reading
This article will be most relevant to people who were assigned female at birth and continue to identify with that gender. For the sake of simplicity, we’ve used the term ‘women’, but there’s plenty of information that might also be helpful for some nonbinary people or trans men.
What is tubal ligation?
Tubal ligation surgery, or getting your tubes tied, is a form of permanent female sterilisation. It’s like a vasectomy procedure for women.
As part of a keyhole surgery (laparoscopy) and under general anaesthetic, your doctor cuts your fallopian tubes to stop eggs from moving to the uterus, meeting up with any sperm, and being fertilised. Sometimes, the tubes are blocked by clipping or tying, rather than being cut. This laparoscopic sterilisation is usually quick and you can go home the same day.
In some cases, you might need a laparotomy. This is still a tubal ligation surgery, but instead of the small cuts used in a laparoscopy, your surgeon makes a larger cut across your abdomen. They can then snip or clip your tubes. Since this is a bigger incision, you might need to stay a night or two in hospital at the start of your recovery.
A tubal ligation is different to a bilateral salpingectomy (and not just because it’s less of a mouthful). A bilateral salpingectomy is when your fallopian tubes are removed, rather than tied off. It’s not usually a birth control method; instead, it’s a way to treat conditions like cancer, an ectopic pregnancy, or a blockage in your fallopian tube.
There are lots of reasons why you might want your tubes tied. For a start, it’s a method of contraception that doesn’t send your hormones haywire or mess with your menstrual cycle like some other options can. It also doesn’t need you to remember to do something, like take a pill or get a replacement intrauterine device (IUD). You’re not completely off the hook, though, as it’s still important to take STI precautions.
Are there any requirements for getting my tubes tied in Australia?
A big requirement for getting your tubes tied is to be absolutely certain you don’t want to become pregnant now, in the near future, or later in life. You’ll likely be asked to consider this with an open mind, including if your circumstances seriously change, like being in another relationship.
This is because tubal ligation is usually a permanent contraception method. While it’s possible to reverse getting your tubes tied, tubal ligation reversal is just very difficult! And there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to become pregnant afterwards; only about 50% of women do.
If you want to get your tubes tied through the public system, your state might have some further eligibility requirements. These could include being unable to use other, less-invasive forms of contraception; wanting to avoid passing on genetic disorders or disabilities; or having a medical condition which could be harmful if you were to become pregnant.
In other states, simply wanting to get your tubes tied can be reason enough to have this surgical procedure.
How much does a tubal ligation cost in Australia?
Tubal ligations for private patients in 2023–24 ranged in average cost by state from $2,800 to $3,400, according to Medical Costs Finder. Of course, your fees and how much you pay out-of-pocket depends on your circumstances.
Does Medicare cover tubal ligation costs?
Medicare can indeed cover the costs of your tubal ligation if you choose to get your tubes tied in Australia’s public health system. The proof is in the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) item code – that’s how much the surgeon charges in the public system, and Medicare covers it all.
As a public patient, Medicare will also cover your anaesthetist’s fees and those of any assisting health professionals for your surgical procedure. You also won’t need to worry about covering the costs of your hospital stay.
Does private health insurance cover tubal ligation costs?
According to Medical Costs Finder, health insurance typically covered $1,000 of the surgery costs for private patients having tubal ligation surgery in 2023–24.
You can opt to get your tubes tied in Australia’s private health system at either a public or private hospital with an agreement with your insurer and use your private hospital cover to help keep your out-of-pocket costs down.
With hospital cover, your health insurer pays at least 25% of the MBS fee. Medicare handles the other 75%. Here’s where things get tricky: there can be a gap between what your specialist charges and that MBS fee. For instance, private patients’ out-of-pocket costs for tubal ligation surgery in 2023–24 ranged from $250 to $2,700.
This is where it can really pay off to look for gap arrangements between health funds and providers. For instance, you could find a surgeon who has a no-gap agreement. This means they won’t charge more than your health insurer is willing to cover.
Sometimes, medical professionals have low-gap or known-gap arrangements instead. While these still mean out-of-pocket expenses for you, at least you won’t be in for a nasty surprise.
To give you an idea of what your fees could look like, the table shows the typical cost and out-of-pocket cost for private laparoscopic tubal ligation patients in 2023–24.
Typical tubal ligation costs for private patients
| Typical specialist fee | $3,000 |
| Medicare paid | $1,100 |
| Insurers typically paid | $1,000 |
| Patients typically paid | $690 |
Source: Medical Costs Finder – Laparoscopy
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 January 2026.
Out-of-pocket costs might be a factor when deciding to get your tubes tied as a public or private patient. But it’s worth thinking about the value these extra costs could mean for you. For instance, as a private patient, you can choose your treating specialist. You might feel less anxious about your surgery if you’ve picked a specialist who’s been recommended to you by friends and family, or one you researched yourself and felt comfortable trusting thanks to their success rate.
Is a vasectomy a better alternative to tubal ligation?
A vasectomy is a similar procedure to tubal ligation; the tubes from the testicles to the penis are cut or tied off.
Vasectomies tend to be a more popular form of permanent contraception than tubal ligation as they:
- have a lower risk of complications
- can be done under a local anaesthetic
- don’t always require hospital admission
- can be cheaper, particularly if you don’t need to go to hospital.
However, you might decide that tubal ligation is the better choice for you and your partner, depending on your unique circumstances.
Are there other out-of-pocket costs for tubal ligation?
On top of the surgery costs, in the private system, there are also costs for your hospital stay. For this procedure, they come to around $3,000. Your insurer might cover all or part of them.
Depending on your health insurance cover, you might need to pay an excess and/or co-payment, too. Whether or not you need to will be listed in your policy documents. Here’s how they work:
- An excess is paid at admission, and you’ll have picked how much this is when you took out your hospital insurance.
- A co-payment is like a mini excess and is paid for each day you’re in hospital. Since tubal ligation is usually a day surgery, you’ll likely only need to pay it once.
Helpful tip
Did you know that your chosen excess can affect whether or not you avoid the Medicare Levy Surcharge at tax time? The Medicare Levy Surcharge is an extra tax for high income-earners who don’t have appropriate hospital insurance.
It’s something to keep in mind when you take out a hospital health insurance policy and decide on your excess.
Andres Gutierrez
General Manager – Health
Are there any ongoing or additional costs after female sterilisation?
All surgeries come with risks, and these can mean additional health care costs.
For instance, there’s a very small chance you could develop an infection after the surgery, or that the surgery could damage nearby organs or body parts, such as your bowel, bladder, womb, or cervix. If you’re unlucky enough to have this happen, follow-up treatment will likely be required.
Outside of unexpected side effects, you’ll likely need to see your specialist for a follow-up appointment. This is a chance for you to ask any questions you might have post-surgery, as well as for your doctor to ensure everything is as it should be.
Unfortunately, your health insurance can’t cover a follow-up specialist appointment. However, you can make a claim for a Medicare rebate. Your final out-of-pocket cost depends on what your specialist charges.
How long will I have to wait to get my tubes tied?
You might have a long wait to get your tubes tied in the public system. This sort of surgery is usually categorised as less urgent, so you’ll still be counted as ‘seen on time’ as long as you’re seen within 365 days.
In reality, this might play out a little faster. In 2023–24, the median wait for public laparoscopy patients was 71 days, compared to 34 days for private patients at public hospitals.1Australian Institute of Health and Welfare – Admitted patient care 2023-24: What services were provided? A potentially shorter wait is another reason why people might choose to go private.
Keep in mind, though, that this stat includes similar laparoscopic procedures, like endometriosis treatment. For a tubal ligation, you might need to wait longer.
If you’re thinking about having your tubes tied as a private patient, keep in mind that health insurance comes with waiting periods you’ll need to serve before you can make a claim.
In the case of tubal ligation, your maximum waiting period is likely to be 12 months. This is the max for a pre-existing condition on hospital cover. If your surgery isn’t seen to be treating a pre-existing condition, you’ll have a waiting period of two months at most.
What level of private health insurance covers getting my tubes tied?
Getting your tubes tied requires hospital insurance that includes gynaecology cover. This cover is available without restrictions on all bronze, silver, and gold tier policies, or potentially on a basic plus policy.
You might find a basic cover option with it, but it will come with restrictions.
Where can I find and compare health insurance?
Tying your tubes is complicated, but finding health cover doesn’t need to be. With iSelect, we can help you compare a range of hospital insurance policies from different health funds in a matter of minutes. All you need to do is give one of our health comparison experts a call on 1800 784 772. Alternatively, you can hop on over to our online comparison tool.
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