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Compare Health Insurance for Single Parents
Compare Health Insurance for Single Parents
Written by
Madeline Pettet
Edited by
Ellie Garran
Reviewed by
Dr Jill GambergCheck out our range of private health funds
iSelect does not compare all providers in the market or all policies offered by our partners in your area. Not all policies or special offers are available to all customers and some may only be available over the phone or on the website. Learn more.
What is single parent health insurance?
It’s all in the name – these health insurance policies are for single parents and their kids. While in reality, single-parent families can take lots of shapes, for health insurance it’s one adult and their dependant(s), including any child and student dependants.
Many health insurers offer policies designed for single-parent families. These tend to be less expensive than similar family cover options that cover two adults and their dependants.
The way dependants are handled can vary between policies and providers. For example, some providers may allow dependants to remain on your cover until they reach 31, while others may end cover sooner.
Do I need private health insurance as a single parent?
When you have kids, you get used to expecting the unexpected. Along with checking schoolbags for forgotten lunches at the start of school holidays, private health insurance can be one way you manage the surprises in your life. Health insurance is about peace of mind, like knowing your kids can be treated as private patients in hospital if they get hurt, or that you can make the most of preventative health measures, like regularly taking them to the dentist.
But it’s not just your kids you need to factor in. For single parents, there’s the extra worry of what happens if you aren’t fighting fit. While health insurance for single parents doesn’t come with a 24/7 emergency babysitter, it can help you look after yourself, so you can be the best parent you can be.
What should I consider when choosing health insurance as a single parent?
Your level of coverage
Your single parent health insurance could cover lots of procedures or just a few – it’s up to you.
For instance, if you mainly want to cover common childhood procedures, like grommets and appendicitis, you might want a lower-tier policy. Alternatively, if you’d like to have future children as a private patient, you might want greater hospital cover, like a gold policy. (Even if those plans for more kids seem far away, it can be worthwhile taking out pregnancy cover ahead of time, since there’s a maximum 12-month waiting period for obstetrics.)
Then there’s extras cover to consider, too. You might only want a few everyday services covered, like general dental and optometry, if your family is free of any pressing health concerns. Or if you’re an active family – or you’re feeling a little worse for wear thanks to a toddler always demanding to be carried – you might want physio and massage included as well.
Your dependent children and their ages
Generally, all single parent policies will cover your dependent children until they turn 18. Some health funds might offer single parent health insurance that covers dependants until they’re 31.
However, it’s important to note that once your child is 18, lots of different dependant definitions come into play – and insurers don’t have to offer cover for all of them. Most notably, you might be able to keep your adult dependant on your cover if they’re still a student. But if they’re no longer studying, they may need to take out their own singles cover.
Other single parent policies might allow adult dependants to remain on your cover, even if they aren’t students. However, this will likely increase your premium.
Your chosen excess
When you take out hospital cover, you can select an excess. If you’re admitted to hospital as a private patient, you’ll need to pay this excess. Conveniently, though, some health funds don’t charge an excess for kids.
A higher excess could help lower your premium, making your health insurance a little more affordable. But be careful of going too high – you’ll need an excess of $1,500 or less if you want to avoid paying the Medicare Levy Surcharge at tax time (assuming you earn over the income threshold).
Your claim limits
Being a parent can often mean sharing just about everything with your kids (except your hidden stash of chocolate). Depending on your policy, you might need to share your claim limits with them, too. This might not be an issue if everyone is generally in good health. But if someone on the policy needs a few more appointments than usual, it could mean other family members miss out on claiming until those limits reset.
Helpful tip
Consider both the level of cover you’re getting and your family’s specific health needs, as well as your budget. For example, if you think your kids might need braces in the future, it could be worth choosing an extras policy that includes orthodontic benefits.
Dr. Jill Gamberg
GP, Coach, and Lifestyle Medicine Physician
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How much is health insurance for single parents in Australia?
There’s no set price for single parent health insurance. Instead, the insurers consider things like what’s covered and where you live.
But as any good parent knows, preparation is key (along with always having a tissue or wet wipe on hand). We’ve crunched the numbers so you can get an idea of what to expect when you start shopping around for policies. The end result: these handy figures that show the average monthly premium for combined single parent health insurance (that’s a policy with both hospital and extras cover) available in October 2024 throughout Australia.
| NSW | NT | QLD | SA | TAS | VIC | WA | |
| Basic | $272.51 | $199.27 | $280.71 | $274.53 | $280.80 | $281.00 | $233.36 |
| Bronze | $317.45 | $276.56 | $338.50 | $328.10 | $326.53 | $332.68 | $278.01 |
| Silver | $410.38 | $360.73 | $421.39 | $413.27 | $417.77 | $430.29 | $392.13 |
| Gold | $714.34 | $548.64 | $750.91 | $709.20 | $710.16 | $758.70 | $650.14 |
Source: PrivateHealth.gov.au – October 2024
Note: All policies were available in October 2024, and no ‘plus’ tier policies were included. The policies are for both hospital and extras cover for one adult and a child dependant, with an excess of $750 per person. Premiums are averaged across the country and do not include rebates.
Do single parents pay more or less for private health insurance?
Ultimately, it depends on which policy you’re comparing it against.
For instance, if you’re moving from a singles health insurance policy (that’s one that just covers yourself) to a single parent option with similar coverage, you could expect to pay more. That’s because your policy is no longer covering only you – it also covers any eligible dependants.
On the flipside, if you’re moving from a family health insurance policy (one that covers two adults, plus kids), you might see your premiums drop, since you’ll have one fewer adult covered.
Remember, it’s not just who’s covered that affects your premiums. The extent of that coverage, like the hospital policy inclusions, your excess and the level of extras, can also impact them.
What private health insurance rebates are available for single parents?
If you earn under the threshold, you might be eligible for the Australian Government’s private health insurance rebate. Your rebate percentage depends on your income and your age, and it’s different for families than for singles. It also increases by $1,500 for every dependent child you have after the first one.
For instance, if you’re 45 and had one dependent child in 2025–26, you need to earn $202,000 or less to qualify for the base tier rebate (24.288%). You could earn as much as $316,000 and still be eligible for some level of rebate, though.
As you might expect, lots of Australians qualify for the private health insurance rebate. In fact, of iSelect customers in 2024 with a single parent health insurance policy, almost 98% claimed the rebate.1Based on iSelect health insurance comparisons, January – December 2024
Frequently asked questions
Will my single health insurance policy cover my child?
Singles health insurance is designed for just one adult. If you’d like to include your child on your cover, you’ll need to reach out to your insurer. They can then help you move to a single parent or family policy. Alternatively, you can shop around for a single parent or family policy. You don’t have to stick with the same insurer.
What’s the legislation around dependent children?
Back in 2021, the Australian Government passed a legislative amendment so insurers could cover dependants on single parent and family policies for longer. Namely, the maximum age went from 24 years to 31 (your kid might always be your baby, but at some point they’ll need to get their own cover). As part of this change, a range of dependant definitions were updated.
They also added a new type of dependant: a ‘dependent person with a disability.’ This means insurers can offer cover for eligible dependants aged over 18 with a disability.
Does single parent health insurance cover pregnancy?
If you find a gold tier single parent hospital policy, then it’s guaranteed to include pregnancy cover, like giving birth as a private patient. You might be able to find some pregnancy cover on silver plus options, but it’s not a sure thing.
What doesn’t single parent health insurance cover?
This depends on the cover you take out. For instance, if you only have hospital cover, it’ll only cover private patient in-hospital treatments and services – specifically as listed in your policy brochure. Meanwhile, extras cover is for some out-of-hospital services, usually the things Medicare doesn’t cover normally. Think physio, dental cleans, and contact lenses.
As a rule, private health insurance doesn’t cover certain out-of-hospital medical services, including going to the GP, appointments with specialists in their rooms, and diagnostic imaging and tests.
What if I separate from my partner?
Separation is a difficult time for anyone, and your health insurance is probably the last thing on your mind. Thankfully, if you’re on a family policy, you might not have to immediately update your cover to a single parent option because of the split. Your insurer might be okay with divorced couples sharing a policy, although they may sometimes prefer that you each have your own health insurance.
Even if there’s no pressing need to change policies, it’s still worthwhile to review your health insurance and see what else is out there. You might find you get better value with a single parent policy.
And keep in mind that splitting up your policies might even mean you get a higher private health insurance rebate. The family threshold will still apply to you, but your ex’s income will no longer be part of the equation.
FYI, though, unless your break-up was perfectly timed for a new financial year, that first tax return apart may get a little tricky. If you’re claiming the rebate through your tax, rather than your insurer, you’ll only be able to claim your share of the rebate. Even if you were the one that paid all of the premiums, your partner can still claim their rebate share.
Will my child be affected by waiting periods?
Hospital waiting periods typically range from a maximum of two to 12 months, depending on the type of service or treatment, along with any pre-existing health conditions.
Unfortunately, even if your child is a long way off from dealing with grown-up concerns like managing their own health insurance, waiting periods might still apply to them. For instance, if you’re moving from a singles policy to a single parent policy to include your five-year-old on your cover, your little one will usually need to sit through those waiting periods, even if you’ve already done your time.
There are exceptions to the rules, though. As with yourself, if your child is moving to a new policy with the same or lower level of cover than the one they’ve already served their waiting periods on, they won’t have to bother with those waiting periods again.
If you’re adding a newborn to your existing single parent or family policy, they might even get to skip waiting periods altogether – or at least the ones you’ve already served.
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Health Insurance & Tax
Tax Implications on Health Insurance
How to save on Health Insurance
About the Medicare Levy Surcharge
About the Life Time Health Cover Loading
Government Rebate & Means Testing
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