What’s the best health insurance for getting and staying fit? 

Whether you’re training for a one-off sporting event, a year-round gym junkie, or just starting out on your fitness goals, health insurance could be your MVP (most valuable player). From helping you recover from sporting injuries to supporting you to stay on track mentally and physically, health insurance could make a big difference to your fitness costs. Here’s how to find the best health insurance for getting and staying fit. 

What does health insurance cover for active people?   

There are 3 main types of health insurance, each of which could be helpful for athletes – both in preventing issues and helping you recover: 

Hospital Cover  

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, around 62,100 sports injuries resulted in a hospital admission in 2023-24. If you should need surgery while competing or training, and it isn’t classed as urgent, you might face a long wait in the public system, slowing down your journey back to fitness. Having Hospital Cover means you can get treated faster in a private hospital, or as a private patient in a public hospital. And unrelated to fitness, it also helps you avoid the Medicare Levy Surcharge if you earn above the income threshold.  

What is the Medicare Levy Surcharge, and do I have to pay it?

Extras Cover 

Extras Cover is the type of insurance that reduces the cost of out-of-hospital health treatments – allied health services such as dental, physio and chiro, to name just a few. Depending on how you choose to support your health, and the type of Extras Cover policy you have, you might be able to claim back some of your costs on services such as dietary advice and physiotherapy (the Australian Physiotherapy Association says around 23 million physiotherapy appointments take place in Australia every year, so it’s a popular treatment!). 

For fitness fans or athletes, Extras Cover could help reduce the costs of: 

• Acupuncture

• Chiropractic

• Dietetics/Dietary Advice

• Dental (for mouthguards*)

• Exercise Physiology

• Orthotics

• Osteopathy

• Physiotherapy

• Podiatry

• Psychology

• Remedial Massage  

Remember to check how much is covered on your policy, and what limits apply per treatment and per year.  

Ambulance Cover  

No one likes to think about this, but in the event you happen to need ambulance treatment while competing, playing or training (or elsewhere), that could hit you in the hip pocket. Contrary to popular opinion, ambulance treatment is not covered by Medicare, which could mean a large bill for you unless you have private health insurance. Ambulance cover is usually included with Hospital and Extras Cover, or you can buy Ambulance Only Cover. You don’t need to worry about this if you live in Queensland or Tasmania – thanks to your state governments, ambulance treatment is free for residents.  

What’s the cheapest health insurance for getting fit? 

The best health insurance for getting and staying fit is the policy that meets your health needs and fits your budget. If you’re a runner, physiotherapy, podiatry and orthotics might be a priority for you. The cheapest Extras Cover policy that covers all of those for one adult in QLD is $36.63. This covers: 

• $350 of physiotherapy per year, with $36 paid for the first visit and $32 for every subsequent treatment 

• $240 for orthotics every three years 

• 10 podiatry visits a year, with $26 paid for the first and $20 for the remaining 9.   

If you’re playing a sport or weight training, you might decide that physiotherapy, remedial massage and exercise physiology are your priorities. The cheapest Extras Cover policy for one adult in NSW that includes all these services is $24.80 a month, allowing you to claim: 

• $300 worth of physiotherapy a year, with 50% of each appointment covered  

• $150 a year of remedial massage and/or acupuncture a year, with 50% of each appointment covered 

• $300 of exercise physiology a year, with 50% of each appointment covered. 

How do I find the cheapest cover for fitness goals?  

To find the cheapest cover for your fitness requirements, head to the healthslips.com.au calculator, answer a few short questions about what you’re looking for, then check out the search results. Unlike many comparison websites, we’ll show you every single policy in Australia that suits your search criteria – without bias or preference. It’s fast, free and doesn’t require you to enter your contact details.  

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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