What is the most affordable hospital cover?

Our most affordable hospital cover option is known as 'ambulance hospital (basic)' providing the minimum level of hospital cover or basic hospital cover.

Is ambulance cover included in hospital cover?

Yes, all ahm hospital and extras packages include ahm Medically Necessary Ambulance, after a 1 day waiting period. If you’re a TAS or QLD resident, be aware your ambulance services are already covered by your state schemes. Learn more about Ambulance Cover Learn more about getting the most out of Private Hospital Cover

Where can I find out more info on the LHC?

The ATO website has some useful information, find out more about LHC.

Getting the most out of Private Hospital Cover

Here’s a close look at how you can get the most from your health insurance hospital cover, wherever you’re at in life.

Why private hospital cover?

Peace of mind

Asking yourself 'is private hospital cover worth it?' Well, private hospital cover with ahm means we’ll help out with bills for included treatments when you’re admitted to hospital as a private patient. That means expenses like doctor’s fees and accommodation won’t hurt quite so much, so you can live your life with less worry about what might happen, and how much it might cost if it does.

Learn more about the costs of Private Health Insurance.

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More choice and control over your care

With hospital cover, you can choose your specialist in a private hospital. You’ll also be treated as soon as you and your doctors are ready (after you’ve served any waiting periods). Plus, ahm has arrangements with most private hospitals and day surgeries in Australia - these are known as Partner Private hospitals. You’ll generally get better value if you go to one of these providers.

See our hospital cover options

Ambulance cover is sorted

Did we mention peace of mind? Our Medically Necessary Ambulance cover is valid Australia-wide, and we include it on all ahm hospital and package products after a 1 day waiting period.

Learn more about Ambulance Cover

Youth discount, Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) loading, Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS) and hospital cover

We've got you're back with this rundown of discounts, loadings, surcharges and other things you need to know about the cost of your private hospital cover.

Youth discount

If you’re aged 18 – 29 and a Principal member (that’s the first person listed on your membership, the person responsible for the payment of premiums and you have full authority to make changes to your membership), you can get a discount on your hospital cover. So it’s a good idea to set up private health insurance while you’re young. Learn more about the youth discount.

Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) loading

Health insurance acronym #234, the LHC loading is a government initiative that’s designed to encourage people to take out and maintain private hospital insurance once they turn 31.

If you don’t have hospital cover by 1 July following your 31st birthday and you choose to take it out later in life, a loading of 2% will be applied to your hospital cover premium (up to a maximum of 70%) for each year you’re over the age of 30 without hospital cover. This is called the LHC loading.

But, if you take out hospital or hospital and extras cover on or before 1 July following your 31st birthday, you don’t need to worry about it as long as you maintain your hospital cover. Find out more about LHC.

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Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS)

If you earn more than the specified income threshold, having private hospital cover could possibly mean that you don’t have to pay the Medicare levy surcharge (MLS).

The MLS is a levy you may need to pay if you don't have an appropriate level of private hospital cover for you and all your dependants and earn over the minimum threshold amount. Find out more about the Medicare Levy Surcharge.

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Common questions

Hospital cover only includes help with bills for included treatments when you’re admitted to hospital as a private patient. These include doctor’s fees, accommodation, operating fees and intensive care, plus the cost of medically necessary ambulance services (up to your limit, if applicable). The types of services included on your hospital cover depends on your level of hospital cover, and generally the higher the level, the more services you can claim towards.

Find extras and hospital cover that suits your needs

Want both? We’ve got a range of extras and hospital cover options.

Find cover

We do more than health insurance

You’re good for pet, life, car and home insurance with ahm. Health insurance members get 10% off!

Browse all insurance

Compare your options

We’ve got lots of different types of hospital cover, find one that suits you.

Compare hospital covers