Cheaper hospital cover for under 30’s
If you currently tick the 18-29 age checkbox, you could score a discount on your hospital cover with Frank. More affordable hospital cover - it’s the icing on the cake of becoming an adult.
Age-based discounts for hospital cover
The age-based discount is a premium reduction of between 2%-10%, with the percentage amount based on your age when you first purchased hospital cover. The discount is the good kind of clingy too – the percentage discount is locked in when you join and will hang around until you’re 41, provided you stay on an eligible hospital cover. Then, like our youth, it will gradually fade away each year after turning 41. The age-based discount only applies to hospital cover and not extras.
How much could I save?
The younger you join, the higher the discount.
The Australian Government sets the discount tiers, which range from 2% to 10% of your private health insurance hospital premium. If you’re between 18 and 25 when you join on hospital cover, you get a whole 10% off. Lucky duck.
Age-based discount percentages
If you're 18-29, the discounts below are what health insurers can offer on an eligible hospital cover premium.
|
Your age at the time of joining hospital cover |
Policy discount you could be eligible for |
|---|---|
| 18-25 years old | 10% |
| 26 years old | 8% |
| 27 years old | 6% |
| 28 years old | 4% |
| 29 years old | 2% |
| 30+ | 0% |
Did we mention the discount lasts a few years?
Okay, so you know you have to join before you're 30 to get a discount. But here's the best bit - whatever that sign-up discount is, you'll have it until you're at least 41 (provided you hold onto your hospital cover, of course). That's ages away! After that, the discount slowly decreases by 2% each year, on your birthday.
Just think, if you take out (and keep) hospital cover at 18, you'll save 10% on your hospital premiums for the next 23 years! That's 23 YEARS!
Cheap hospital cover for under 30s
It’s a tough gig to be a young person these days. You’re trying to kick start adult life; the world is expensive and your hard-earned doesn’t always stretch as far as you’d like.
If you’ve got youth and good health on your side, you may not need the highest level of hospital cover for this season of life. If you’re happy to exclude services in order to keep the price down, Frank Entry Hospital (Basic+) cover or Frank Private Hospital (Bronze) cover might be worth a look-see. The easiest way to choose is to check what’s covered in each product tier (Basic, Bronze, Silver, Gold) to make sure you’re only covered for the level that you need.
Frank are keen to make it easier for younger Australians to have access to affordable private health insurance hospital cover. We know the little things can go a long way, which is why we offer the age-based discount on all levels of Frank hospital cover. No matter what hospital cover you choose, you'll still benefit. A lot can change in a decade, but you can rest easy knowing your discount level won’t be one of them (provided you keep your hospital cover of course).
For example:
You’re 26 years old and you’re looking to take out hospital cover for the first time. You're eligible for an 8% age-based discount on your hospital premium (single policy). As long as you keep your hospital cover, that 8% discount is then locked in until you turn 41. Your discount will see you through your entire 30s and will then drop by 2% each year after you turn 41 until it reaches 0.
Choosing the right insurance for under 30s
There’s plenty of hospital covers to choose from, but we’ll make it easy and start you off with three that might suit below.
To get a quote online with Frank, just select a cover below, pop in your date of birth and if you’re eligible, your age-based discount will be included in the premium total. Easy!
You can see our full range of covers here.
Under 30? Select a product, enter your details and see if you're eligible for a discount.
- Emergency Ambulance Cover
- Dental Surgery
- Joint Reconstruction
Bronze Plus Hospital (Bronze+)
- Emergency Ambulance Cover
- Back, neck and spine
- Lung & Chest
* The price shown is per week and applies to a Single, aged 30, living in VIC. It excludes LHC loading and includes a Base Tier Government Rebate
| Extras services (when included on cover) |
|---|
| All extras benefits except as specified below. Waiting Period: 2 Months |
| Optical, home and domestic aids and medical aids. Waiting Period: 6 months |
| Major dental services (including full & partial dentures, orthodontics, crown & bridgework, endodontic services such as root canal, gold fillings, indirect restorations, surgical extractions of a tooth/teeth including wisdom teeth). Waiting Period: 12 Months |
| Health appliances including nebuliser pump, blood glucose monitor, pressure garments, sleep apnoea monitor, extremity pump, hearing aids, orthopaedic appliances (GMHBA approved), prostheses (GMHBA approved non-surgical), tens monitor, podiatry surgical procedures and orthotic appliances (foot). Waiting Period: 12 Months |
| Hospital services (when included on cover) |
|---|
| Accidents - bodily injuries resulting from accidents which occur after the date of joining GMHBA or upgrading to a higher cover. Waiting Period: No |
| Obstetrics and maternity. Waiting Period: 12 months |
| Pre-existing ailment, illness or condition (other than psychiatric, rehabilitation and palliative care). Waiting Period: 12 months |
| Any other benefit for hospital (or hospital substitution) treatment. Waiting Period: 2 months |
A pre-existing condition is one where signs or symptoms of your ailment, illness or condition, in the opinion of a medical practitioner appointed by GMHBA (not your own doctor), existed at any time during the six months preceding the day on which you purchased your hospital insurance or upgraded to a higher level of hospital cover and/or benefit entitlement.
A special waiting period applies to obtain benefits for hospital treatment for new members who have pre-existing conditions. The waiting period also applies to existing members who have recently upgraded their level of hospital cover. If the ailment, illness or condition is considered pre-existing:
New members
New members must wait 12 months for any hospital benefits (other than psychiatric, rehabilitation and palliative care).
Existing members (transferring or upgrading)
Members transferring/upgrading to a higher hospital cover must wait 12 months to get the higher hospital benefits (other than psychiatric, rehabilitation and palliative care).
Existing members (with at least 12 months membership)
Existing members with at least 12 months membership in total across their old and new cover are entitled to the lower benefits on their old cover.
Silver Hospital cover provides the same single room coverage as Gold Hospital, but co-payments of $100 per day up to a maximum of $700 per admission apply. Co-payments are not the same as hospital excess. Please note: Some private hospitals only have single rooms and co-payments will apply.
Co-payments do not apply.
Benefits of private health insurance for under 30’s
Taking out hospital cover earlier in life has some solid advantages:
- You could avoid the Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) loading by having private health hospital insurance before 1 July after you turn 31.
- If you’re a higher income earner and don’t have hospital cover, you might have to pay the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS) at tax time. You may be able to avoid paying MLS by taking out hospital cover. Wondering what income makes you a higher income earner these days? More than $93k for singles or $186k for couples/families are the magic numbers / current MLS income thresholds.
Switch to Frank and keep your discount
You already have hospital cover and you joined before you were 30. Good news - you're not stuck with that insurer. We'll let you keep your discount when you switch to us.
Be careful though. Not all insurers offer this particular age-based discount. So, if you switch to Frank from a cover that isn't age discounted, your age on the day you switch will dictate your new discount.
Frequently asked questions about the age-based discount
If you already have an age-based discount with your previous fund, the same discount level will come across with you to your new hospital cover with Frank (called a retained age-based discount). There must be less than a 30 day gap in cover between exiting your previous fund and switching to Frank.
Your discount will be automatically applied to your hospital premium once we verify it from the transfer certificate from your old fund.
No. Health insurers were given the option to provide age-based discounts as part of the Australian Government health insurance reforms. Not all funds may offer them.
Frank offers the age-based discount on all hospital covers to eligible members.
You and your partner can receive the discount if one or both of you are aged 18-29. The discount is averaged out across the policy if you’re on a couples or family membership.
For example, if you're on a couple policy and one adult is 26 years old (8% age-based discount) and the spouse/partner is 29 years old (2% age-based discount), the total age-based discount applied to the policy would be 5%.
‘Fraid not. If you’re on a family policy, only the main member and the spouse/partner on your policy are eligible for the age-based discount.
If your kids (called dependants in health insurance speak) are over 21 and have finished full-time studying, or they've turned 25, they'll need to take out their own policy to stay covered.
On the plus side, they’d be eligible for the age-based discount on their new hospital policy. They'd also be eligible to receive any offer available to new members at the time they join if they meet the T&C's of the offer. Get more info about dependants.
If you cancel your hospital policy the age-based discount goes with it. If you add hospital to your policy again down the track, the discount is applied as per your age at that point in time (provided you’re still under 30).
If you suspend your policy (within fund suspension rules), your discount will still apply as it was at the time of the suspension when you reactivate. The only time it will change is if you are over 41 years old when you reactivate.
The age-based discount only applies to the hospital cover and not extras, sorry. If you’re on a combined cover, it only applies to the hospital portion of your total premium.
It really varies from person to person. Starting earlier in life has its perks though, with the age-based discount available to 18–29-year-olds with hospital cover.
Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) loading is also worth factoring into your decision. It’s an additional loading of 2% for every year on your hospital premium if you don’t take out hospital cover from 1 July following your 31st birthday.
Get one month free* when you join on combined cover by January 15*
*For new members who have not been a member during the last 12 months, joining on combined hospital and extras cover, paying by direct debit. Must pay first month to receive one month free. Offer only available via Frank website or phone joins. Not available with any other offer or Frank OVHC. Offer ends 15 January 2025.
