Cheap couples health insurance
Been flirting with the idea of committing to couple status?
You’ve come to the right place. When you're ready to settle down and share your health insurance, Frank is here to help you find the perfect match.
Top picks for couples
Bronze Plus Hospital (Bronze+) & Everyday Extras
- Major Dental
- 100% back on Optical
- Health Maintenance
- Emergency Ambulance Cover
- Back, neck and spine
- Lung & Chest
Silver Hospital (Silver) & More Extras
- Major Dental & Orthodontics
- 100% back on Optical
- Health Maintenance
- Podiatry
- Emergency Ambulance Cover
- Heart and vascular system
- Implantation of hearing devices
* The price shown is per week and applies to a Couple, 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.
What is couples health insurance?
Couples cover simply means that two adults (married or de facto) are covered under the one policy. Other membership types, such as singles, cover one person only.
You can look forward to less life admin as you’ll only need to manage the one policy. And if you decide to expand your crew someday, you have the option to add kids down the track at no extra cost by moving to a family cover.
How do I choose a couples cover?
Frank is all about choice. With a range of affordable health insurance covers for couples, you'll be able to find something that keeps everyone happy. At Frank, you can mix and match your hospital and extras cover to find a combination that suits the health and budget needs of the two of you.
What’s the difference between hospital and extras cover?
There are two types of cover to consider here: hospital cover and extras cover.
- Hospital cover pays benefits towards services while admitted as a private patient to hospital, such as accommodation and inpatient doctors' fees. There’s four categories of hospital cover called Basic, Bronze, Silver and Gold – these are also known as product tiers. Each tier has a minimum number of clinical categories that must be included.
- Extras cover provides insurance for other stuff that Medicare doesn’t cover: things like new glasses, getting your annual dental check-up, physio visits and more. The level of cover you choose determines the services you can claim on and the amount you’ll get back. Learn more about extras cover.
Extras to suit you both
You don’t have to break up with your favourite dentist just because you're a couple. With Frank, you can choose your own registered provider.
When it comes to extras like dental or optical, you want something that fits your lifestyle. That’s why Frank’s extras products let you pick from 50% back, 80% back, or fixed benefits up to your annual limits. If you’re using extras cover a lot, 50% back or fixed benefits can help you stretch your limits over the year. Not claiming much? 80% will help you get more back for each service, but you’ll likely reach your sub-limits and annual limits quicker.
Extra benefits with Frank extras
Frank’s extras cover comes with a bunch of benefits. You and your partner could get optical member discounts or savings on dental treatments. Frank’s Lots Extras cover offers access to online antenatal classes. You can also claim on telehealth for selected extras services. It’s all part of the package here at Frank.
Affordable hospital cover for two
Our mission is to provide easy to understand, affordable hospital cover, whether you choose a more basic level of hospital cover, or one with all the trimmings.
So which couples health cover is right for you? Well, that always depends on both of your health needs and your budget. But a good starting point is our Bronze or Bronze Plus (Bronze+) Hospital cover.
Bronze Plus (Bronze+) Hospital, for example, includes some clinical categories but excludes others services like obstetrics and IVF, and restricts services like Psychiatric and Rehabilitation to give you a cheaper premium. It's private patient hospital cover, without the top price tag.
The best move is to give us a call, so we can talk you through the various options.
Does it pay to partner up?
Is couples cover cheaper than singles cover? It’s generally no cheaper than two singles policies (depending on the level of cover of each policy). If you have different health needs to your partner, you may be better off each having your own singles cover at the level you each need.
Having said that, if you're both happy to have the same level of cover, there are some plus points to coupling up policy-wise. If you want to do the old ‘two become one’ with your policies, you can always move to a couples cover.
Being part of a couple (even if you each have your own policies) can impact a few areas:
- Being part of a couple means that you’ll be subject to the family tiers for the Australian Government rebate on private health insurance (if you’re eligible).
- The same applies for the Medicare Levy Surcharge (if you’re a higher income earner), even if you each have your own hospital policies. It’s a good idea to get some professional financial advice if you’re unsure.
- When you’re on a couples hospital policy, any Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) loading that applies to you or your partner would be averaged out across the policy.
- If you and/or your other half are aged 18-29, you could also be eligible to receive a discount on your hospital cover called the age-based discount. When you’re on a couples policy, the discount percentage is averaged out across the policy.
How to get couples health insurance with Frank
Once you've worked out which policy suits you both the best, you can sign up online or contact us to join. If you already have a Frank policy that you’re happy with, simply get in touch to add your partner and change your cover type from singles cover to couples cover.
New couples cover
Want to start a fresh couples health insurance policy? No worries. Here’s what you need to do.
- Pick your cover. Choose from Frank’s hospital cover, extras cover, or one of our Freedom Flexi Bundles.
- Get a quote. You can get a quick quote online.
- Sign up online. Enter you and your partner’s details, your Medicare information, and sign up online. Congratulations! You now have couples health insurance.
Add a partner to your existing cover
If you’ve already got an existing Frank singles policy that you’re happy with, it’s pretty easy to change to couples cover. The best way is to give us a call on 1300 437 265. You can also add a person to your cover in the Frank member area.
Finding cover for couples: Why choose Frank?
Frank’s mission is to provide great value health insurance for couples in Australia. So, apart from great service and peace of mind, why should you choose Frank health insurance?
Insurance on the go
The Frank mobile app lets you keep track of your cover wherever you are. View your policy details, request a new member card, make an extras claim or check your limits – it’s free to download and stunningly easy to use.
Flexible couples cover
Our Freedom hospital and extras bundles give each person on the policy one flexible limit to claim on included extras services each year. And the longer you stay on the cover, the more you can claim. Winner winner. You'll score an extra $50 to spend on your freedom limit every calendar year, up to a maximum of $200 after 4 years of continual cover.
30-days cooling off
It’s okay to change your mind. If you’re not happy with your couples health insurance (and you haven’t made a claim yet), just tell us within 30 days and we’ll refund your full premium.
Choose your own provider
With Frank, you can choose your own provider. If you have extras cover, you and your partner can each see the provider of your choice. If you have hospital cover, you can each choose who treats you and where, depending on your level of cover. Private health insurance gives you individual choice and flexibility.
Starting a family
If you're planning to start a family in the future, keep in mind that there's a 12-month waiting period before you can claim on pregnancy and birth services. So waiting until you're already pregnant to search for appropriate hospital cover won't help. By joining a policy with pregnancy cover at least 3 months before you start trying, you'll be able to complete the waiting period and claim on services when you need them. Learn more about pregnancy, IVF and assisted reproductive services.
Happy members, happy Frank
We believe sharing really is caring, so it’s always good to hear our members speaking frankly about their experience with us. See what Frank couples really think on Productreview.com.au
Frequently asked questions about couples health insurance
Do I need to be married to have couples health insurance?
Not at all. As long as you’re in a de facto relationship, you’re eligible for couples health insurance with Frank. You can check out our fund rules for more info, but basically a “de facto partner” is anyone living with you in a bona fide domestic relationship. You can also read the ATO’s definition of a couple.
Can I add my partner to my Frank policy?
You sure can. Adding a partner will switch your Frank policy from single to couples cover. Note that this will result in an increased premium, as your policy will cover two people instead of one. You can add your partner via the Frank member area or over the phone. Just give us a call and we can walk you through the process.
Which health insurance is best for couples?
It depends on a bunch of factors, including your age, your budget, your health needs and other circumstances. The best place to start is to browse Frank’s various levels of cover and see which one works for you. Keep in mind, if you’re planning to start a family, and you’re looking for pregnancy and birth cover, you’ll need to be on our Gold tier hospital cover.
Will couples hospital cover help me avoid the Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) loading?
That depends when you get it. If you’re approaching 31, you can still secure the lowest base rate hospital premium by avoiding the government’s Lifetime Health Cover loading. This goes for singles and couples. All of Franks hospital covers are suitable for this, so you could look at our cheapest hospital cover - Frank Accident Only (Basic).
How do I avoid the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS)?
If your combined income exceeds the MLS threshold and you don't have hospital cover, you'll be faced with paying MLS (an additional 1% to 1.5% of your taxable income). Opting for hospital cover can sometimes be cheaper than paying the extra tax, depending on what hospital cover you choose. Learn more about the Medicare Levy Surcharge and tax.
Will couples health insurance affect my rebate?
Yes, there are different threshold tests for couples under the Australian Government’s rebate on private health insurance. Check out the rebate income tier table for more information.
Can married couples have separate health insurance in Australia?
Of course! For life admin purposes, it can often be easier to combine your cover, so there's only one policy and one set of premiums to keep track of. Having said that, if you or your partner have different preferences or health needs, you might find more value in each having your own singles cover. On the flipside, if you have children, it may be more cost efficient to move to a family policy rather than each have your own cover.
Can couples hospital cover help us pay less tax?
It depends on your circumstances. If you are high incomce earner, and one or both of you don’t have hospital cover, you may end up having to pay the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS). It's an additional government tax for higher income earners, ranging from 1% to 1.5% of your combined income.
If you and your partner earn under the threshold, you could also be eligible for the Australian Government rebate on private health insurance. This is an income-tested rebate from the Government to help with the cost of your health cover. The rebate applies to both hospital and extras cover.
When can we start claiming on our couples health insurance?
You can start claiming as soon as your waiting periods have been served. These periods will differ, depending on the level of cover you signed up for. To view your waiting periods, check the Frank app, member area or fact sheet.
If you’re switching from another fund and you’ve fully served your waiting periods, you won’t need to re-serve them if:
- You’ve switched to an equivalent or lower level of cover; and
- You’ve switched within 30 days of your previous cover ending.
Any limits you’ve already used in the year will also come across.
Can I get pregnancy and birth cover without a waiting period?
Health funds have a 12-month waiting period for pregnancy and birth cover. That means you need to take out an appropriate level of hospital cover at least 3 months before trying to get pregnant. Your estimated due date must be after the 12 month waiting period will have been served. If the baby comes early, we would just need a letter confirming the estimated due date.
If you currently hold hospital cover that includes pregnancy and birth with another fund and have fully served the waiting periods, you can move to Frank on the same level of cover without re-serving them.
I already have couples health insurance. How do we switch to Frank?
Easy! We’ll do the hard yards for you when switching to Frank. We’ll ask for a transfer certificate from your old fund that will outline level of cover, waits already served, any claims made and any applicable LHC or age-based discount (if you’re eligible). You can check out our covers online, or pick up that fancy walkie talkie in your pocket and call us on 1300 437 265.
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.
