Private health insurance · every state · release 2026-10-01 · ranked 2026-11-08
Cheapest hospital cover in Australia you can join
The cheapest hospital cover a single can join without belonging to a named group is ahm health insurance's ambulance hospital (basic) in Northern Territory at $39.30 a month before the government rebate, or about $29.82 after the 24.118% rebate for under-65s on the base income tier (up to $105,000, 1 July 2026 to 31 March 2027), with a $750 excess per person, as published to the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman in its monthly open-data release dated 2026-10-01, read and ranked by OpenStream on 2026-11-08.
On 2 of the 49 state-and-tier lists for a single the cheapest policy is from a restricted fund, open only to a named group; each is named below beside the cheapest anyone can join on that tier.
The answers above this page
By state
The cheapest open hospital policy for a single from a fund anyone can join, on any tier; a cheaper restricted fund is named beside it, not ranked. Premiums are per month before the government rebate.
| State | Cheapest you can join | Premium | Cheaper, restricted |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | ahm health insurance ambulance hospital (basic) Basic | $102.60 | none cheaper |
| Victoria | ahm health insurance ambulance hospital (basic) Basic | $102.10 | none cheaper |
| Queensland | see-u by HBF Starter Hospital $750 Excess with Daily Co-Pay (Basic) Basic | $102.99 | none cheaper |
| South Australia | see-u by HBF Starter Hospital $750 Excess with Daily Co-Pay (Basic) Basic | $98.81 | none cheaper |
| Western Australia | see-u by HBF Starter Hospital $750 Excess with Daily Co-Pay (Basic) Basic | $78.86 | none cheaper |
| Tasmania | HBF Health Limited Basic Hospital Accident Only $750/$1500 Excess Basic | $100.42 | none cheaper |
| Northern Territory | ahm health insurance ambulance hospital (basic) Basic | $39.30 | none cheaper |
Each state links to its own question page; every tier, household and policy is under it. Who each restricted fund takes.
Where a restricted fund is cheapest on a tier
2 of the 49 state-and-tier lists for a single. The restricted policy is open only to the group its fund names; the cheapest anyone can join on the same tier is beside it.
| Tier and state | Cheapest, restricted | Cheapest you can join |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Plus, NSW | Defence Health Limited $110.00 members only | GMHBA Limited Frank Basic Plus Hospital $111.60 |
| Basic Plus, SA | TUH, part of the Teachers Health Group $106.36 members only | HCi Basic Plus Hospital $750 excess $107.15 |
Questions
Answered from the release dated 2026-10-01.
- What is the cheapest hospital cover a single can join in New South Wales?
- ahm health insurance's ambulance hospital (basic) at $102.60 a month before the government rebate, as published to the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman in its monthly open-data release dated 2026-10-01, read and ranked by OpenStream on 2026-11-08.
- What is the cheapest hospital cover a single can join in Victoria?
- ahm health insurance's ambulance hospital (basic) at $102.10 a month before the government rebate, as published to the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman in its monthly open-data release dated 2026-10-01, read and ranked by OpenStream on 2026-11-08.
- What is the cheapest hospital cover a single can join in Queensland?
- see-u by HBF's Starter Hospital $750 Excess with Daily Co-Pay (Basic) at $102.99 a month before the government rebate, as published to the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman in its monthly open-data release dated 2026-10-01, read and ranked by OpenStream on 2026-11-08.
- What is the cheapest hospital cover a single can join in South Australia?
- see-u by HBF's Starter Hospital $750 Excess with Daily Co-Pay (Basic) at $98.81 a month before the government rebate, as published to the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman in its monthly open-data release dated 2026-10-01, read and ranked by OpenStream on 2026-11-08.
- What is the cheapest hospital cover a single can join in Western Australia?
- see-u by HBF's Starter Hospital $750 Excess with Daily Co-Pay (Basic) at $78.86 a month before the government rebate, as published to the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman in its monthly open-data release dated 2026-10-01, read and ranked by OpenStream on 2026-11-08.
- What is the cheapest hospital cover a single can join in Tasmania?
- HBF Health Limited's Basic Hospital Accident Only $750/$1500 Excess at $100.42 a month before the government rebate, as published to the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman in its monthly open-data release dated 2026-10-01, read and ranked by OpenStream on 2026-11-08.
- What is the cheapest hospital cover a single can join in Northern Territory?
- ahm health insurance's ambulance hospital (basic) at $39.30 a month before the government rebate, as published to the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman in its monthly open-data release dated 2026-10-01, read and ranked by OpenStream on 2026-11-08.
- On which tiers is a restricted fund the cheapest for a single?
- Basic Plus in NSW (Defence Health Limited at $110.00; the cheapest anyone can join is GMHBA Limited at $111.60), Basic Plus in SA (TUH, part of the Teachers Health Group at $106.36; the cheapest anyone can join is HCi at $107.15), as published to the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman in its monthly open-data release dated 2026-10-01, read and ranked by OpenStream on 2026-11-08.
- Why are some cheaper policies left out?
- The release lists restricted funds beside open ones. A restricted fund takes only a named group (an employer, a union, the Defence community); a cheapest-first list that does not separate them names a policy most readers cannot join. This page ranks only funds the release types as open.
General information only. Not advice.
- Every premium on these pages is the figure the insurer publishes to the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman's PrivateHealth.gov.au data, release dated 01-Oct-2026, shown per month before the Australian Government rebate and before any Lifetime Health Cover loading. What you pay depends on your income tier, your age when you first took hospital cover, your state and the excess you choose. It can be lower or higher than the figure shown.
- OpenStream does not consider your health, your circumstances or your needs. A cheaper policy may exclude a service you will need; waiting periods, excesses, co-payments, hospital agreements and age-based discounts differ by policy. Read the insurer's Private Health Information Statement (PHIS) before deciding; every policy here links to the regulator's record.
- OpenStream is not a registered health insurer, does not sell insurance and does not arrange cover. Links to insurers go to the insurer's own website. We receive no payment from any health insurer at the date shown; if that changes, it will be stated on this page and on the methodology page, and it will never change the order policies appear in, which is by published premium alone.
- Private health insurance is not a financial product under section 765A(1)(c) of the Corporations Act 2001, so this comparison is not a financial service and OpenStream does not hold an Australian financial services licence. If you want personal advice, speak to the insurer or a licensed adviser.
- Source: PrivateHealth.gov.au open data, published by the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman on data.gov.au under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia. Products closed to new members are not shown. Figures are reproduced, not estimated.
General information only, not advice. OpenStream is not an insurer, not a broker and holds no Australian financial services licence. It does not sell, arrange or recommend insurance, and nothing here is a recommendation or a quote. Everything on this page is built from public sources - regulators, government bodies and the providers' own published material - each named and dated where it is used, so you can check it yourself. It does not take account of your circumstances. How OpenStream works · Corrections and complaints