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* Restricted insurers offer cover to people working in certain industries or members of certain organisations * While restricted insurers may seem to be cheaper, our analysis found that open insurers often work out better value * Our handy tool helps you work out whether you’re eligible for cover with a restricted insurer.
At healthslips.com.au, we compare every policy from every insurer – including restricted insurers – which means we’ve got the data to answer that question. Other commercial comparison sites don’t include policies from restricted insurers because they don’t pay commissions, but we track every insurer in Australia, and do comparisons without bias.
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Am I eligible for cover with a restricted insurer?
Use our handy tool to find out whether you could be eligible for cover with a restricted insurer.
Restricted Health Insurer Eligibility Checker
Answer a quick question to get an indication of whether you might be eligible for cover with a restricted health insurer.
Have you ever worked, or has a family member ever worked, in any of these industries or workplaces?Select all that apply.
Your result
This tool provides general information only and is not personal advice, and does not guarantee eligibility. Rules can vary between insurers and policies – always confirm your specific circumstances with the health insurer before making decisions about your cover.
Are restricted insurers cheaper?
To compare restricted and open insurer premiums, we compared the cost of a Combined Hospital and Extras Cover policy for one adult in Queensland. We chose Silver Plus tier Hospital Cover with a $750 excess, and Extras Cover that included General Dental, Optical and Physiotherapy as a minimum. Using 2026 premiums, here’s the breakdown of the cheapest policies we found.
Silver Plus, Hospital and Extras Cover, $750 excess (QLD single)
Cheapest policy from insurer
Premium per month
Hospital categories covered (out of 38)
Extras treatments covered (out of 27)
Who can buy the policy
Cheapest open insurer
$194.40
30
10
Anyone
ACA Health
$201.51
31
8
Employees of the Seventh Day Adventist Church and their families
Union Health
$204.59
31
9
Current or former employees of recognised Australian trade unions and their families
TUH Health
$204.59
31
9
Members of any Australian union and their families
Defence Health
$207.11
31
9
Current or former members of the Australian Defence Force and their families
CBHS Health
$211.34
30
12
Employees of Commonwealth Bank and their families
UniHealth
$228.37
32
14
Academic and administrative workers at tertiary education institutions and their families
Nurses & Midwives Health
$228.37
32
14
Nurses, midwives and others providing nursing care, and their families
Teachers Health
$228.37
32
14
Teachers and administrative staff in primary, secondary or tertiary education and their families
Navy Health
$229.33
32
11
Current or former members of the Australian Defence Force and their families
Prices calculated July 2026 at healthslips.com.au. Premiums do not include any Government Rebate, Age-based Discount and Lifetime Health Cover Loading that may affect the premium you ultimately pay. Calculate your own Rebate, Discount and Loading here.
Our expert analysis
As our healthslips.com.au calculator found, the cheapest policy was from an open insurer, costing $194.40 a month. Listed in order from cheapest to most expensive, the healthslips.com.au calculator showed 4 other policies from open insurers before the cheapest restricted policy, from ACA Health at $201.51. This shows that while restricted insurers offer competitive pricing, you can sometimes find policies from open insurers that might be cheaper, depending on your health needs.
The bottom line: always shop around, and use the free healthslips.com.au calculator to compare all policy options, including those from restricted insurers. Find restricted insurers in the Filters on your results page, and compare with ease.
Can I change policies?
Yes, you can change policies at any time without any penalties – and if you stay at the same tier of Hospital Cover or lower, you won’t have to serve waiting periods again. Your new insurer will handle all the paperwork.
First, make sure you’ve compared policies from both restricted and open insurers – it’s easy to do this on the healthslips.com.au calculator, just select the ‘show restricted insurers’ in the results filters. The calculator is free to use, with results listed cheapest to most expensive without bias, and you don’t have to enter your contact details to get your results. Use the calculator to search for a new policy, or compare your existing policy with a new one.
Sometimes larger open insurers have wider networks of providers than restricted insurers might be able to offer. If you’re taking out Extras Cover, find out whether the insurer has arrangements with dentists and opticians in your area that would keep your out-of-pocket costs low. And if you’re buying Hospital Cover, look at the insurer’s list of Agreement Hospitals to make sure there’s one in your area.
healthslips.com.au does not provide general or personalised advice. Your particular circumstances are likely to impact the accuracy, completeness and relevance of the information or results. Take this into account before making a decision and talk to an expert for financial advice.
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.
