Health Insurance & Healthcare in Australia Explained

Jump right in:

• How healthcare works in Australia
• Pros & cons of the Australian healthcare system
• An overview of private health insurance
• How to get health insurance
• Finding a doctor in Australia
• Giving birth in Australia

Let’s say you get sick. In bigger cities, finding a doctor or general practitioner (GP) nearby won’t be a problem. But if you’re living in a more rural area, you might have to travel a bit to see a doctor or a specialist.

Australia has over 25,000 doctors and about 24,000 specialists, so healthcare is widely available. Still, like in many other countries, wait times can be long — especially for specialists. So it’s good to be prepared to wait a little.

How healthcare works in Australia

The Australian healthcare system is one of the most comprehensive and best in the world. It is a hybrid system made up of two parts: public and private.

People seeking healthcare in Australia should opt for primary healthcare first. This is given through a doctor or general practitioner (GP), nurse, pharmacists, or dentists.

Medical specialists are also an option in Australia. They offer services in specific areas of medicine such as cardiology or gastroenterology.

We go over Australia’s public healthcare system in this section. For information on private health insurance in Australia, refer to the section below.

Australia healthcare facts

• Australia’s healthcare system is a universal public and private healthcare system, with private options available.
• Everyone who is a permanent resident has access to the public system, while half of the population has additional private insurance.
• Emergency room and doctor visits are free through the public system
• Number of pharmacies: more than 5,000.
• Number of hospitals: around 1,300 (700 public and 600 private).
• More than 25,000 doctors and approximately 24,000 specialists.
• Specific healthcare programs are available for certain groups, such as Indigenous Australians and veterans.
• Two national health subsidy schemes: Medicare Benefits Scheme and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

How does healthcare work in Australia?

The public system is made of several parts, including public hospitals, community-based services, and government-owned health organizations. It is run by all levels of the government — federal, state and territory, and local.

Eligible expats wishing to register with the public system must do so within a week of arrival to Australia. To register and receive their Medicare (government-run healthcare system) card, they will need

• a passport;
• travel documents;
• a permanent visa.

The process can take up to a month, and you can sign up online or in person at a Medicare office.

Does Australia have free public healthcare?

Yes. Australian citizens and permanent residents in the country, including those applying for permanent residency, can access the public healthcare system at no or minimal cost through Medicare.

This is Australia’s universal healthcare scheme, established in 1984 and available nationwide.

Medicare also provides access to medically necessary care for visitors from 11 countries under Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (RHCA). Note that the details of what is covered can differ, though, depending on your country of origin!

As of 2025, these countries are:

• Belgium
• Finland
• Italy
• Malta
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Ireland
• Slovenia
• Sweden
• United Kingdom

Expats from other countries are advised to take out private health insurance. Otherwise, you’ll have to pay out-of-pocket for any treatment during your time abroad.

What does public healthcare cover?

Medicare in Australia covers a lot of basic medical needs for citizens and permanent residents, including:

• treatment in public hospitals as a public patient
• 75% of the fee for some services if you’re a private patient in a hospital
• some or all of the cost of visiting a GP or specialist
• tests and scans ordered by your doctor
• subsidized prescription medicine

It doesn’t cover everything though. Dental care, most physio, glasses, hearing aids, and ambulance services usually aren’t included, unless you have extra private coverage.

Pros & cons of the Australian healthcare system

Pros

• Tax-funded, affordable healthcare system which offers free healthcare to the public
• Government subsidizes private insurance, which covers dental care and private hospitals
• Covers medical prescriptions
• Death rate in Australia is one of the lowest in the English-speaking world — lower than the UK and US
• Life expectancy is among the highest in the world, according to the OECD

Cons

• Most expats are not eligible for access to the public scheme unless they’re permanent residents in Australia
• Long waiting periods for hospital medical procedures and emergency rooms
• Out-of-pocket costs can apply, especially for specialists or services not fully covered
• Dental, vision, and long-term care not covered by the public system

An overview of private health insurance

Private health insurance in Australia is “community-rated”, meaning everyone is entitled to buy the same product at the same price, except for Lifetime Health Cover (learn more about this below) and Age-Based Discounts. Everyone has a right to renew their policy, and an insurer cannot refuse to sell you any plan you want to purchase.

Do you need private health insurance in Australia?

Private medical insurance in Australia is not generally mandatory. But expats cannot access the public healthcare system unless they’re permanent residents or come from a country with a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia, so getting private coverage is highly recommended. Depending on your visa, you might even be required to get Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC) or Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).

Around 50% of the population in Australia also buys additional private health coverage. This is because the public scheme doesn’t cover everything — ambulance transportation, for example, is not included.

Private health insurance coverage

Private health insurance packages in Australia are typically broken down into three main groups: hospital cover, “extras” cover, and ambulance cover.

Hospital cover

With hospital cover, you get to choose which doctor and hospital you attend. You can choose to be treated as a public or private patient in either a public or private hospital. If you decide on a private hospital, you avoid the long wait times of the public system.

If you’re treated as a private patient (in either a public or private hospital) and eligible for Medicare, it will cover 75% of the associated medical costs. The remaining 25% is billed to you, and your private insurer may cover some or all of this. This could include:

• hospital stay;
• intensive care;
• operating theater fees;
• drugs, dressing, and consumables;
• surgically implanted prostheses;
• diagnostic tests;
• pharmaceuticals, and
• any additional doctor’s fees.

Extras cover

Extras cover takes care of any costs for general treatments not covered by Medicare and can include things like:

• dental exams and treatment
• physiotherapy, occupational therapy, eye therapy, speech therapy, chiropractic services, podiatry or psychology services
• acupuncture
• vision care (glasses and contact lenses)
• hearing aids
• home nursing

Most insurance plans only cover extras up to a specific limit per year. Make sure you check and understand this limit before choosing a provider.

Ambulance cover

Medicare doesn’t cover ambulance rides. Therefore, this is one of the key reasons why many people prefer to get private insurance. Most health insurers offer combination packages with these services.

Be sure to ask what exactly is covered by your insurer — some cover all travel while others are limited.

How much does private health insurance cost?

The cost depends on the plan you choose and what coverage it includes. As of early 2025, the average monthly premium for a single person is approximately 164.50 AUD.

Since April 2019, Australia uses a tier system for hospital insurance: basic, bronze, silver, and gold. Average monthly costs for hospital cover are approximately:

Types of health insurance plans

The following is a list of various policies from different funds across Australia, and their cost per month.

*Costs vary depending on the Australian state or territory.

How to get health insurance in Australia

To obtain health insurance, you should contact your chosen company once you have compared different plans and settled on the right coverage for you and your family.

Once you sign up, be aware that you might be subject to a waiting period before you can claim any of your benefits or receive particular treatment. For pre-existing conditions or pregnancy, you may need to wait up to twelve months.

Finding a doctor in Australia

How to find a doctor or dentist?

If you’re looking for a doctor, dentist, or specialist in Australia, you can easily search online by location and specialty.

The Australian Doctors Directory and the Healthdirect Service Finder list specialists, doctors, and even services across all states and territories.

How to find a family doctor?

In Australia, family doctors are referred to as general practitioners (GPs). You will have no problem finding a doctor in major Australian cities and capitals.

If you happen to be an expat in a rural area, you might have to travel some distance to get to one.

Unlike in some countries, it’s not necessary to be registered with a specific doctor in Australia — you can see any doctor either as a public or private patient.

To see a GP, you must have an appointment. This is usually made a couple of days in advance. Of course, if it’s urgent, you may be seen immediately but should then factor in some waiting time at the doctor’s office.

How to find specialists?

Public patients must be referred to specialist doctors by a GP. Private patients can make appointments directly with specialists, although most insurance companies still prefer you to be referred.

How to find a dentist?

You don’t need to register with a specific dentist to get care in Australia. To find one near you, visit the Australian Dentist Directory. You can search by location, dental service, or a dentist’s name, making it easy to find what you need anywhere in the country.

Average waiting times to see a doctor in Australia

Doctor’s offices in Australia, especially specialists, are often busy, so even with an appointment, you might wait past your scheduled time. Medicare patients should also expect longer wait times to see specialists due to high demand.

For public elective procedures like hip replacements, waiting times can stretch over several months, sometimes up to a year or more, depending on the region. Smaller states like Tasmania tend to have longer waits.

Public dental services can also involve long waiting periods, sometimes more than a year for specialist treatments like root canals or fillings.

Tip: Check the latest waiting time statistics from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) or your local health provider.

Giving birth in Australia

Cost of having a baby in Australia

Giving birth in Australia without health insurance coverage can be very pricey! If you’re not eligible for Medicare, make sure to get private health insurance — or you’ll be responsible for paying the following average costs out-of-pocket.

If you use a public hospital, your fees will generally be lower than with private care.

New mothers with a natural birth can expect to stay in the hospital anywhere between 4 and 48 hours. Those who give birth via C-section should expect to stay 3 to 4 days.

Documents to bring

When you are ready to give birth, bring these documents in your hospital bag:

• antenatal card
• copies of your birth plan
• private health insurance details (if applicable)
• Medicare card (if applicable)
• money for any fees (if applicable)

Citizenship, payments, and support

Giving birth in Australia does not automatically grant your child Australian citizenship. However, if at least one parent has permanent residency, the newborn will acquire Australian citizenship. Children of temporary residents (e.g., on Temporary Work visas) will have the same visa status as the parents.

The Australian Government Department of Human Services offers monetary help and services to assist new parents.

Some payments include:

• Parental Leave Pay (time off for working parents to care for their newborn)
• Family Tax Benefit (FTB) (a two-part payment to help with child-rearing costs)
• Parenting Payment (income support if you are a young child’s caregiver)

Additionally, there are:

• Child Care Subsidy and Additional Child Care Subsidy
• Child Disability Assistance Payment (an annual payment for caregivers of children with disabilities

Eligibility for these different schemes depends on a range of factors — from your residence status to income thresholds and more — so make sure to check the details when applying.