How Much Does Health Insurance Cost for Singles in 2026?
Published August 20, 2026
The health insurance cost for singles has increased in 2026, with premiums rising by 4.41% from April 1. This means the singles market has become more expensive, yet many Australians do not understand the difference between what they are currently paying and what they could get with another policy. The disparity between the cheapest and most expensive policies at the same tier can amount to several hundred dollars per year.
What is the average cost of private health insurance for singles in 2026?
Private health insurance for singles is offered in Australia in three different types: hospital only cover, extras only cover and the combination of hospital and extras covers. It depends on the tier, state and also on your eligibility for the rebate.
1. Hospital Only Cover
Hospital cover provides access to private treatment in hospitals, allows you to choose the surgeon, as well as avoids waiting lists in public system for elective surgeries. No dentistry, optics and physiotherapy included – that is why the price is lower than that for the combination cover.
Research reveals, singles who are younger than 65 years old can expect to pay, depending on the tier they want, the following amount:
Basic cover: average monthly premiums of $96.95
Bronze cover: average monthly premiums of $115.40
Silver cover: average monthly premiums of $225.47
Gold cover: average monthly premiums of $340.81
Note that these figures don’t include the rebate, which can reduce your monthly premiums.
2. Extras-only cover
If you’re only interested in covering services outside the hospital, such as dental and optical, an extras-only policy is available at the lowest cost of all. Extras-only policies cover services like dental, optical, physiotherapy, chiropractic, podiatry, and others depending on the policy. They don’t include any hospital treatment, and they won’t help you avoid the Medicare Levy Surcharge or sidestep Lifetime Health Cover loading. For both of those purposes, you need hospital cover.
3. Combined hospital and extras cover
This involves having both extras and hospital included in one policy. While this may turn out to be cheaper for some singles, for others it will mean buying inclusions they will never make use of in order to access the required hospital tier.
In a nutshell, the important consideration is whether the combined plan offers the appropriate hospital tier for you and not extras. For example, Bronze hospital plan plus comprehensive dental cover is a totally different thing from Silver hospital plus basic dental cover.
Level of cover: the Four Tiers
Australian hospital cover has been segmented into four levels set by the government, these are, Basic, Bronze, Silver and Gold. The level dictates the minimum number of clinical categories that must be covered under the cover. In each level, there can be differences in the amount of cover given to each category and therefore two bronze covers in two different funds may not offer the same coverage.
What does each tier offer?
Basic: This is the basic point. Most of the times it only offers restricted cover, that is cover whereby one is covered as a private patient in a public hospital. This will enable one to choose their surgeon and also be covered; it covers one in case of any accident. This is the minimum required to avoid paying the Medicare levy surcharge and start the Lifetime Health Cover clock.
Bronze: Provides most of the fundamental health care requirements which could be necessary for someone who is in good health condition. Often used as a starting point for single younger individuals who need good coverage without the high cost of Gold plans.
Silver: Significantly higher coverage. Suitable for individuals who know about some pre-existing health conditions and are closer to age 40. Silver plan covers Heart and Vascular System, Back, Neck and Spine, and all surgical operations. Spread in premium costs between the cheapest and the most expensive Silver plans is large enough, and this is the plan which really requires comparison.
Gold: Most expensive plans of all. They cover everything: obstetrics, joint replacement, cataract operation and other expensive services.
How to lower your health insurance premiums as a single
These aren’t tricks. These are the actual levers that drive down the number.
Claim the rebate from your fund, not at tax time. If you qualify for the standard rebate, claiming the rebate upfront from your fund means less hassle than waiting to claim an offset, as well as a lower cost to you each month.
Claim a higher excess. This is the biggest lever for reducing your monthly premium. A $500 or $750 excess on a Basic or Bronze policy will help reduce your monthly premium quite significantly. Doesn’t make sense to do unless you are low risk for needing hospital care.
Get cover before you turn 31. If you are close to 30, this is by far the most important lever you can pull. Even taking out a Basic policy before you turn 29 protects you from LHC loading for the rest of your life.
See if you’re on a closed product. There are many Australians who’ve been in one fund for years without realizing that they’ve been in a closed product. Closed products tend to be expensive since the risk pool is fixed and getting older. It will cost you less to move from your closed product to a new-generation product at the same tier.
At Utility Market, we look into more health funds compared to any other major comparison tool, since sometimes the best alternative policy for you is one not mentioned in your first set of results.
Our advisors boast of good deal of collective experience in private health insurance. A few minute chat is enough to give you an answer that would help you come up with an amicable solution.
For a better understanding of health insurance cost for singles, compare your options with Utility Market and find cover that suits your needs and budget.
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