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Media Release

Private health insurance and the great gender divide 

New research reveals what men and women want from private health insurance 

There are stark differences in what men and women want from their private health insurance cover, new data reveals.1Source: iSelect commissioned YouGov Galaxy Pty Ltd conduct a national online survey between 15-21 July 2024. The sample is n= 1,532 Australians aged 18 years and older who have private health insurance and are the main or joint decision maker for their cover. The survey results were weighted by age, gender and region to reflect the latest ABS population estimates.

Leading comparison service iSelect’s first Health Pulse survey found women were twice as likely than men to pick remedial massage as one of the most important services to have under their extras cover (24% compared with 12%). 

Other services that women were more likely than men to prioritise for extras cover included:  

  • General dental (85% for women compared with 77% of men)
  • Optical (73% for women compared with 64% of men)
  • Major dental (57% for women compared with 51% of men)
  • Physiotherapy (42% for women compared with 35% of men) 

On the other hand, the research found that orthotics was more important to men than women (six per cent compared with three per cent), along with dietetics (six per cent compared with two per cent). 

Other differences between what men and women prioritised when it comes to their cover included:   

  • Pharmacy (29% for men compared with 19% of women)
  • Hearing aids (16% for men compared with 10% of women)
  • Vaccinations (14% for men compared with 10% of women)
  • Orthodontics (10% for men compared with 7% of women) 

The survey – conducted by YouGov on behalf of iSelect – found the gender divide extended to how much money Aussies claim to have saved by switching policies or providers, with men more likely to say they saved (77%) than women (65%).  

The survey also found men claim they saved more on average ($1,379) than women who switched ($868 on average).  

Almost three quarters of Aussies who switched their private health insurance in the past 12 months saved money on their premium, with an estimated average saving of $1151, the survey found.  

And using a comparison website such as iSelect to make the switch paid appears to have paid off, with those surveyed who switched using a comparison website claiming to have saved an average of $1296, compared to an average of $1029 for those who did not use a comparison services.  

Men surveyed were more likely than women to use comparison services to help them switch.  

Andres Gutierrez, iSelect’s General Manager – Health, said they know firsthand from speaking to their customers that many Aussies are doing it tough currently. 

“We understand that life is busy, but with the cost-of-living crisis, every dollar counts, and any extra savings are more valuable than ever,” Andres explained.  

“We strive to make our customers lives easier by helping them save them time, effort and money. Our inaugural Health Pulse survey shows switching private health cover can be well worth the effort, and using a comparison website like iSelect could save you more.” 

According to the study, men also were more likely than women (26% compared to 20%) to have switched their policy over the past year, with men particularly more likely to have switched hospital-only cover (10%) compared to women (6%). 

Andres Gutierrez said iSelect gave customers additional peace of mind through their private health insurance Price Promise: “If, within 30 days after buying a policy with them, you find the same policy with a cheaper standard annual premium from another insurer, iSelect will give you a $500 eGift card.”2If you find the same policy on a lower standard annual premium from the same insurer within 30 days after buying with us, we’ll give you a $500 eGift Card. Terms & Conditions apply. 

Learn more about the iSelect Health Pulse findings.3iSelect Health Pulse: All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1532 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 15th – 21st July 2024. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all Australian adults who have private health insurance and are the main or joint decision maker for their health insurance cover (aged 18+).

iSelect’s top tips for finding suitable private health insurance 
1. Review your plans/policies regularly – Needs and circumstances change over time. When it comes to insurances (such as health, home and/or contents or car insurance), regularly ask yourself what you need to be covered for and if your current policy/plan stacks up. You could be paying for things you don’t need, and not covered for things you do.  
2. Could a higher excess save you money on your premium? Generally, the higher the excess or co-payment you are willing to pay, the lower the premium. If you think it’s unlikely you’ll be admitted to hospital in the near future you could opt for a higher excess on eligible policies in exchange for lower overall premiums.      
3. Offers, deals and freebies – Some funds may be offering incentives around certain times of the year and it could be a good idea to shop around and take advantage of any deals and offers! Remember though, a good deal doesn’t necessarily mean the cheapest. Make sure the policy is suited to your needs.      
4. The extras – There is a wide variation between funds on what services are offered and what you’ll get back as rebates under extras cover. Ask yourself if you even need extras. You could consider flexible products that combine your separate extras limits into a single annual limit for you to use across different services.      
5. Know your rights – Did you know that any hospital benefit waiting periods you’ve already served will be protected by law if you switch to an equivalent or lower level or hospital cover? Yes, it’s true!      

-ENDS-

For media enquiries, please contact:

Sophie Ryan

Public Relations Manager

0437 028 104

[email protected]

Sophie is our Public Relations Manager and an experienced journalist who is passionate about making Aussies’ lives easier by saving them time, effort, and money.

As an accomplished media spokesperson and iSelect Comparison Expert, Sophie frequently appears on leading news and public affairs programs, including 7NEWS, Sunrise, and 9News, sharing commentary and research.

She also regularly writes articles for popular websites and publications on various personal finance topics, including insurance and utilities.

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About

At iSelect, we’re passionate about making Aussies’ lives easier by saving them time, effort and money. We are Australia’s go-to destination for comparison across insurance, utilities and personal finance products made available from our range of providers. Our service is provided at no cost to the customer.

iSelect does not compare all products in the market. The availability of products iSelect compare may change from time to time. Not all products made available from iSelect’s providers are compared by iSelect and due to commercial arrangements, area or availability, not all products compared by iSelect will be available to all customers. Some products and special offers may only be available from iSelect’s call centre or website. Click here to view iSelect’s range of providers. 

  • 1.
    Source: iSelect commissioned YouGov Galaxy Pty Ltd conduct a national online survey between 15-21 July 2024. The sample is n= 1,532 Australians aged 18 years and older who have private health insurance and are the main or joint decision maker for their cover. The survey results were weighted by age, gender and region to reflect the latest ABS population estimates.
  • 2.
    If you find the same policy on a lower standard annual premium from the same insurer within 30 days after buying with us, we’ll give you a $500 eGift Card. Terms & Conditions apply. 
  • 3.
    iSelect Health Pulse: All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1532 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 15th – 21st July 2024. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all Australian adults who have private health insurance and are the main or joint decision maker for their health insurance cover (aged 18+).