Does health insurance cost less if I’m healthy? 

Private health insurance exists to help you access healthcare treatments or services that might otherwise be very expensive or out of reach. Even if you’re healthy now, you don’t know what’s ahead, and it can be reassuring to know that if you face a long waiting list in the public health system, you could be seen in a private hospital much faster. But while being healthy means there’s less chance you might need to claim on your policy, that doesn’t mean your health insurance will cost less. Here’s why.  

Does my health insurance cost me less if I’m healthy? 

In short, no. The cost of health insurance isn’t affected by how healthy you are, nor by your likelihood of needing to claim on your policy. That’s because health insurance is community rated not risk rated, which means everyone pays the same regardless of their health status, or having a higher likelihood of needing health treatment (such as being older, or having a family history of illness). With that said, if you do have a health condition, there may be a longer waiting period than usual before you can claim on your policy.  

What is a pre-existing condition, and how long are waiting periods?

What factors affect the cost of health insurance?

Can health insurance make me healthier? 

Here are some great health insurance hacks that’ll benefit your body and your pocket. While health insurance doesn’t cost less if you’re healthy, you can sometimes use your insurance to help you get or stay healthier: 

• If you have a chronic health condition, you may be able to claim back your gym membership on health insurance  

• Some Extras Cover policies include programs to help you improve your nutrition or wellbeing 

• Depending on your insurer, you may be able to collect rewards for physical activity than you can redeem on gift cards or premium reductions. 

Learn more about these great hacks here; remember that conditions apply.

The takeaway 

Although health insurance isn’t cheaper if you’re healthy, the good news is that if you do need to claim on your policy, it won’t impact on your premium. The cost of health insurance isn’t affected by your health nor by past claims.  

If you’re looking for ways to save money on health insurance, we have plenty of great hacks at healthslips.com.au – check out these tips. 

Want to save money on health insurance? 

The healthslips.com.au Calculator is a fast and easy way of finding a cheaper health insurance policy. It searches across every policy available from all 48 insurers in Australia, without commercial bias – and without making you enter any contact details. It’s free to use and because we don’t sell insurance, there’s no obligation to buy. Use our Calculator to find the best policy for you, or compare your existing policy with other similar policies.   

Trudie McConnochie

Writer and Researcher

Knowledge is power – that’s the guiding principle behind everything Trudie writes, and it’s a philosophy she brings to her work at healthslips.com.au. By breaking down complex information into easy-to-understand blogs and stories, she aims to empower Australians to make the best choices and an informed decision around private health insurance.

Trudie understands firsthand some of the complexity of private health insurance having moved to Australia from New Zealand and having to navigate a vastly different public healthcare system and health insurance structure.

Trudie holds a Bachelor of Communication Studies (journalism major) from the Auckland University of Technology.

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