Australian Government incentives

The Australian Government has introduced surcharges and incentives to encourage people to take out and maintain private health insurance.

• Australian Government rebate on private health insurance
  

  The Australian Government provides a rebate on the cost of private health insurance. Persons eligible for Medicare and who hold a private health insurance product may be eligible for the rebate. The rebate tier applicable to your personal situation is dependant on family status, age and income.

• Lifetime Health Cover Loading
  

  Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) is a financial loading that can be payable in addition to the base rate premium for your private health insurance hospital cover. If you purchase hospital cover earlier in life, and keep it, you will pay lower premiums compared to someone who joins when they are older.

If you are not covered by a complying private health insurance hospital policy and you earn above a certain income threshold, you may have to pay the Medicare Levy Surcharge when you lodge your tax return.

Insure? Not sure?

The Private Health Insurance Administration Council (PHIAC) has published a booklet that explains the Australian health system in simple terms. Insure? Not Sure? provides information to help you decide how best to meet your health insurance needs.