Lifetime Health Cover

Lifetime Health Cover is a Federal Government initiative designed to encourage you to take out private Hospital Cover earlier in life and maintain your cover. You make lower contributions throughout your insured life, compared to those who join later in life. 

For every year you are aged over 30 and you do not have Hospital Cover, you will pay an additional 2% loading on top of your 'base' Hospital contribution (or your share of a couple or family contribution), when you do join. This is effective on 1 July following your 31st birthday.  For example, if you take out private Hospital Cover for the first time at age 40, you will pay 20% more than someone who joined at 30.

No loading is applicable to any member who joins private Hospital Cover by 1 July following their 31st birthday or who has maintained private Hospital Cover since 1 July 2000.

The maximum loading is 70%. The loading only applies to Hospital Cover, not Extras Cover. If transferring to Health Partners, your Lifetime Health Cover loading will remain the same.

Permitted Days

Permitted days are the number of days you are able to drop your Hospital Cover without affecting your loading. You can drop your Hospital Cover for a cumulative period of 1,094 days (i.e. 3 years less 1 day). Once you have used these permitted days without hospital cover, a 2% loading will apply for each year or part year you are without Hospital Cover.

You can drop your cover without using permitted days and without affecting your loading when:

• you have suspended your membership
• you are overseas for at least 12 months. You can return to Australia for visits of up to 90 days at a time and still be considered to be overseas.

Exceptions

You may be eligible for an exemption of Lifetime Health Cover loadings if:

• you were born on or before 1 July 1934
• you have been living overseas since 1 July following your 31st birthday or since 1 July 2000
• you have migrated to Australia and recently become eligible for Medicare benefits
• you hold or have held a Gold Card
• you are a member of the Australian Defence Force.

Please contact us for more details, or visit privatehealth.gov.au.

Certified Age – Lifetime Health Cover Loading

Your loading is based on your certified age. In most cases, your certified age will be the age you first took out private hospital cover. The minimum certified age is 30. To determine your Certified Age and calculate your Lifetime Health Cover loading, click here.

If you know your Certified Age, look up your age and add your percentage loading to the base rate. For families or couples, look up the percentage loading of each partner. Add the loading together and divide by two. Then add this new percentage loading to the base rate. This loading will be removed after 10 years of continuous Hospital Cover.