Hospital Cover
Help protect you and your family from unexpected hospital costs and have more freedom to choose where you’re treated.
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What is Hospital cover?
Hospital cover helps pay for some of the costs associated with being treated at a private hospital, which can help you save thousands of dollars in medical bills. You can have more freedom to choose which hospital you’re treated at, your room type, and the doctor who treats you. Plus, you can avoid public hospital waiting lists.
Real Health Insurance offers five levels of Hospital cover to choose from, with basic plans through to more comprehensive care and everything in between. The different levels of cover mean you have the flexibility to choose a hospital plan that best suits your needs and budget – whether you’re on your own journey, growing your family or looking forward to retirement.
Put your yourself first with Real Health Insurance, and get cover from a name you can trust.
Features & Benefits
- Get up to $500 off plus skip the 2 & 6 month wait on Extras when you join a new Hospital & Extras policy by 15 January 20251
- Select from five levels of Hospital cover to best suit your needs and budget
- Apply online and get covered in less than 10 minutes
- Choose between $500 and $750 excess options2
- Combine with Extras cover for added protection
- Simple online claims process
- Update policy details and view claims online
Proudly backed by nib
We’re committed to providing you with exceptional trusted service and that’s why we’ve partnered with nib who have over 70 years of experience supporting the health of 1.7 million customers.
Ambulance cover
The last thing you want to worry about in the middle of an emergency is how much it’s going to cost to get to hospital. Ambulance bills can be in the hundreds or even thousands of dollars, and it’s a service we don’t often consider until it’s needed.
Help prepare for the unexpected and get the peace of mind you deserve with unlimited emergency ambulance cover3. This is part of all Hospital and Extras covers and includes:
- One-day waiting period from when you take out cover
- Emergency ambulance transport to hospital provided by a state or territory ambulance service (paid at 100% of the cost)
- Emergency ambulance call out fees (where the member is treated at the scene by paramedics, and it is determined that transport to hospital is not required)
- Transport between hospitals when transfer is medically necessary (due to the existing hospital not specialising in the treatment needed)
- No Hospital excess is applicable for this service
16 years of award-winning insurance
At Real Insurance we pride ourselves on providing trusted service and real value to our customers, which has been recognised by 16 consecutive years of industry awards.
Get up to $500 off plus skip the 2 & 6 month wait on Extras when you join a new Hospital & Extras policy by 15 January 20251
Commonly Asked Questions
Why should I get private health insurance?
There are many benefits to having private health insurance. While Medicare doesn’t cover the cost of everything you might need to maintain good health, private health insurance helps cover some of the out-of-pocket expenses for a range of health services and hospital expenses.
Depending on your income, having a level of Hospital cover may also have tax-related benefits. If your income is over $97,000 for singles ($194,000 for couples/families) and you take out and maintain private hospital cover for the full financial year, you could avoid paying an extra 1% to 1.5% in tax via the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS). Visit the Australian Tax Office website for specific rules for calculating income for MLS purposes.
Health insurance excess: What does it mean?
An excess is the amount you pay when you make a claim for medical treatment under your Hospital cover. It does not apply to Extras cover. Your excess can impact your premium – by choosing a lower excess, your monthly premiums will be higher than if you were to choose a higher excess. An excess is different to out-of-pocket expenses or a ‘gap’, which are fees that aren't covered by Medicare, and are in addition to your Hospital cover excess.
Do I have to re-serve waiting periods if I switch funds?
If you've served all waiting periods with your current insurer, you won't need to re-serve these. However, if you transfer before completing the waiting periods, you'll need to serve the remaining balance before you can claim. Additional waiting periods and higher annual limits may apply for services that aren't covered by your previous policy, if you've chosen a lower excess or if you wait more than 59 days after leaving your former insurer before taking out a new policy.
Waiting periods will apply for services not currently covered, services with higher benefits or where waiting periods haven’t been fully served. Where the excess on the new product is lower than the excess on the previous cover, the excess on the previous cover will apply until the unexpired waiting period has been served. Any benefit limits already used with your current fund will apply to your Real Health Insurance policy.
What is the difference between Medicare and private health insurance?
Australia’s public healthcare system is known as Medicare. It provides free or low-cost medical care for certain health issues, but can involve long waiting periods if your condition isn't life threatening. Private health insurance helps you avoid long public hospital waiting lists and gives you more freedom in who treats you and where. Private health cover also helps reduce out-of-pocket expenses for your treatment and services that aren't covered by Medicare. Please note coverage may differ depending on your level of cover and policy exclusions, waiting periods, hospital excess and limits and whether you go to an nib Agreement Hospital, a non-agreement private hospital or a public hospital.
How do I choose the right health cover for me?
Everyone has different needs when it comes to their health. When choosing the most suitable health insurance for your needs and budget, the first step is to consider whether you need cover as a single, couple or family. Next, decide what treatments and services you’d like to be covered for, then settle on your level of excess (if applicable) and monthly premium payments. With Real Health Insurance you can take out cover online in less than 10 minutes or call us on 1300 953 162 for more information.
Get up to $500 off plus skip the 2 & 6 month wait on Extras when you join a new Hospital & Extras policy by 15 January 20251
1. This Offer is only available to new members who are Australian citizens, permanent residents of Australia, or those who are entitled to full reciprocal rights under Medicare, registered for Medicare and listed on an active Medicare card, and join an eligible combined Real Health Insurance Hospital and Extras policy by 11:59pm (AEST) 15 January 2025. Not available to existing Real Health Insurance policyholders, or any other existing private health insurance policyholders of a partner brand issued by nib, or to previous policyholders who have held health insurance with any of these brands and cancelled their policy 6 months before or during the Offer Period.
The Offer consists of adjusting the “paid to” date on the qualifying policy to reflect the reduction off the premium payable for an amount equating a maximum of AUD $300 (inclusive of GST) for single policies or a maximum of AUD $500 (inclusive of GST) for couples, families and single parent family policies. The Eligible Member must maintain the Eligible Product up to the date of the Offer being applied to the active policy, being 29 January 2025 for policies purchased between 01 November 2024 and 30 November 2024 and, 26 February 2025 for policies purchased between 01 December 2024 and 15 January 2025.The Offer will be forfeited if the Eligible Member is not an active policyholder on these dates.
In addition, 2 & 6 month waiting periods will be waived for Eligible Members on all Extras services that normally require a 2 or 6 month waiting period under the Eligible Product. The Waiver will be fulfilled at the time the Eligible Member takes out the Eligible Product. Longer waiting periods may apply for some services. See full terms and conditions.
2. Gold Hospital is only available with $750 excess.
3. Not available to: (i) QLD residents who have ambulance services provided by their State ambulance schemes; (ii) TAS residents who are covered under state ambulance schemes in TAS and when travelling in mainland Australia except NSW, SA or QLD; or (iii) pension and health care card holders who have ambulance services provided by State ambulance schemes (check entitlements with Centrelink if unsure).