Knee replacement surgery costs

Looking for cover for your knee surgery? Our health insurance experts can take you through your options and help you look for a policy that gives you peace of mind today.

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Written by Joshua Wildie
Reviewed by Eliza Buglar
Expert reviewed by Steven Spicer
Updated 9 June 2025

Expert tips on health insurance for knee replacements

Our health insurance expert, Steven Spicer, has put together some great tips on how to find the right health insurance for your knee replacement.

Steven Spicer
Executive General Manager – Health, Life & Energy

Consider a 'Plus' policy

While joint replacement surgery is a minimum requirement of the more expensive Gold hospital tier, some health funds offer coverage for it on Silver Plus policies, which often come at a lower premium. This isn’t a guarantee, though, so you’ll need to check whether the Silver Plus policy you are considering includes the ‘joint replacement’ clinical category.

Choose your excess

Is it likely you’ll need knee surgery in the near future? While you might pay a bit more for the premiums now, you might consider looking at policies with a lower excess. It could save you money in the long run and you can always increase your excess in the future. Just keep in mind that you will need to serve a waiting period before benefitting from the lower excess.

Compare your cover regularly

It’s important to regularly review your health insurance policy to ensure it meets your needs. If you don’t currently have cover for joint replacements but think you may need a knee replacement in the coming years, it might be a good idea to upgrade your policy early with the plan to serve the relevant waiting periods before you need surgery.

Knee replacement surgery and how it works

What is knee replacement surgery?

Types of knee replacement surgery

When would I need knee replacement surgery?

Are there alternatives to knee surgery?

Knee replacement costs

How much does a knee replacement cost in Australia?

Which type of health insurance covers knee replacement surgery?

Does Medicare cover knee replacement surgery costs?

Meet our health insurance expert, Steven Spicer

Steven Spicer
Executive General Manager – Health, Life & Energy

As the Executive General Manager of Health, Life and Energy, Steven Spicer is a strong believer in the benefits of private cover and knows just how valuable the peace of mind that comes with cover can be. He is passionate about demystifying the health insurance industry and advocates for the benefits of comparison when it comes to saving money on your premiums.

1 Health Direct – Knee replacements. Accessed May 2025

2 Health Direct – Unicompartmental knee replacement. Accessed May 2025.

3 Better Health Channel – Knee replacement surgery. Accessed 2025.

4 Health Direct – Revision total knee replacement. Accessed 2025

5Australian Government Department of Health. Medical cost finder – Knee replacement. Accessed May 2025.

6 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Elective surgery waiting times 2023-24: Australian hospital statistics. Accessed May 2025.