Health insurance for families explained

Having a family isn’t cheap, but if you choose your family private health insurance wisely, it can provide peace of mind and not cost the earth.

Adding kids to your cover

Adding a child to a couple, single parent family or family membership

If you already have a couple, single parent family or family cover when your baby is born, all you need to do is add them to your membership by calling us on 1300 492 172. If you want the baby to be included on your membership from their date of birth, then you need to do this within 12 months of their date of birth. The baby will only need to serve any waiting periods that have not already been served by the Principal Member.

Adding a child to a single membership

If you’re on a single cover, then you’ll need to change to a family (or single parent) cover, and add your baby to the membership by calling us on 1300 492 172. The request must be made within 2 months of the baby’s date of birth to ensure your baby is included on your membership from their date of birth and don't have to serve any waiting periods that have already been served by the Principal Member. You'll need to pay any difference in premiums from their date of birth.

Choosing cover for your family

You don’t just need health insurance for the family, you need health insurance for your family. We get it. That’s why we offer a range of different family cover options:

New families

Expecting a baby? If you’re on a single or couples cover, all you need to do is make sure your baby is added within 2 months after birth. And if you’re on family cover (including single parent family) you have up to 12 months.

This way, the baby won’t have to serve any waiting periods that you’ve already served under your cover. (Also – congrats!)

Want cover for pre and postnatal care? Learn more.

Families with younger kids

If the baby stage is a mere mashed-banana-covered memory, then you probably won’t need pregnancy or birth cover – but you might want a swag of family extras cover to deal with things like braces, dental check-ups, speech therapy, and even kids’ swimming lessons in certain circumstances

Good news is, the longer you stay with us, the more you get, with your annual limit on some extras services increasing when you’ve been with us for 5, 10 and 20 continuous financial years.

Single parent families

If you’re raising kids solo, you’re probably a superhero – so we have cover to suit. Our single parent health insurance options come with a lower premium than standard family plans, but will still give you peace- of-mind (if not actual peace and quiet.)

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Common questions

If you’ve got family private health insurance with ahm, then your kids are covered under the plan up to the age of 21 – they’re considered a ‘Child Dependant.’

If they’re studying full time, then they can remain under your plan as a ‘Student Dependant’ up to the age of 25. If they’re not studying full time, but want to remain covered under your plan, you can add them as an ‘Adult Dependant’ on certain plans, for an additional premium, up to the age of 25.

Once they turn 25, they’re no longer eligible for cover as a dependant, and will need to take out their own health cover. At ahm, we offer a Youth Discount which makes this more affordable.

If you’re after hospital cover for your family, then you just need to make sure you choose the cover you want at a family scale - as opposed to a single. A family scale could either be a family with child dependants, single parent with child dependants, family with adult dependants or single parent family with adult dependants. There are no real ‘family related extras’, but our Family Extras is designed to suit families.

Some types of cover allow you to include dependants. Here’s how we define dependants:

Partner – a person who lives with the Principal Member in a marital or de facto relationship.
Child Dependant – a child of the Principal Member or their partner, who is not married or living in a de facto relationship and is under the age of 21.
Student Dependant – a child of the Principal Member or their partner, who is not married or living in a de facto relationship, is over 21 but under 25, and studying full time. They can be your or your partner’s natural, step or adopted child, or a child you have legal custody of.
Adult Dependant – a child of the Principal Member or their partner, who is not married or living in a de facto relationship, is over 21 but under 25, and is not a student dependant. Please note, only selected ahm covers allow you to add an adult dependant, for an additional premium.

No gap dental check-ups

You could get up to 2 dental check-ups per financial year with no out of pocket cost on eligible products and services at selected dentists, subject to annual limits and waiting periods. Excludes x-rays tooth extraction and fillings.

No gap dental

Health insurance and pre and postnatal care

Having private health insurance cover during pregnancy doesn’t just mean more choice around where and who will treat you. It’s also more options for extras that might come in handy during and after pregnancy.

Ambulance explained

In life, there are good surprises (flowers? for us?) and not-so-good surprises. Here’s what you need to know about health insurance and ambulance cover.

What about braces?

If you and your child have held extras cover with orthodontics included, for 12 months, then you’ll be able to claim Orthodontic benefits.

More about braces

Optical

You'll get 100% back (up to your annual limits) on the cost of things like frames, repairs and prescription lenses and contacts on selected extras cover.

Browse all extras