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A single parent health insurance policy makes it easier to stay on top of your child’s healthcare needs by giving you the option to avoid public hospital waiting lists, save on dental check-ups and more. Here are some things you need to know about health insurance for single parent families.
Health insurance for single parents can ensure that you and your children have access to both private hospital services and out of hospital extras services. With a health insurance policy, you can take advantage of great benefits such as:
If you’re a single parent looking for the right cover for you, one of the best things you can do is compare your options. With that in mind, here are some things you might want to look for while you browse:
Our health insurance expert, Steven Spicer, has put together some tips on how to find great value cover for single parent policies.
Prices vary from fund to fund and there are plenty of cover options to choose from. If you need assistance, speak to one of our experts, as they’re here to help.
An excess is an amount that you agree to pay towards the cost of hospital treatment in exchange for lower premiums. The great news is some products don’t charge an excess for a dependant if they’re admitted to hospital. This is only available on eligible hospital policies, so it’s best to speak to an expert or your health fund for more information.
Some health funds will allow your dependants to stay on your policy longer than others, with a few covering your dependants until they’re 31, even if they’re not studying full time. Depending on your dependents’ age and situation, keeping them on your policy may cost more.
From bumps and tumbles to chronic or unexpected illnesses, there’s always a chance that your child may end up as an inpatient in hospital, no matter how careful you are. Having an appropriate level of private hospital cover gives you peace of mind and choice if something happens.
The hospital services you’ll be insured for will depend on your level of cover. Hospital cover is divided into four tiers: Basic, Bronze, Silver and Gold, each covering a broader range of clinical categories (e.g. a standard Bronze hospital policy includes 18 unrestricted clinical categories and 3 restricted clinical categories, while a Gold hospital policy includes all 38 unrestricted clinical categories). Certain policies may also include select categories from the tier above, and these are known as ‘Plus’ or ‘+’ policies (e.g. a Silver Plus policy could cover joint replacement, but not weight loss surgery).
Keep in mind that your health insurance will not cover private emergency room fees since you’re not technically admitted to hospital. Your single parent health insurance will come into effect once you’re admitted to hospital as an inpatient or need further surgery following your emergency room visit.
As a single parent, it can be hard to predict your child’s needs as they grow. You might need to pay for out of hospital services such as glasses, speech therapy, physiotherapy or even orthodontic work. These upfront costs can be substantial, and since they don’t require inpatient hospital treatment, a hospital insurance policy will not pay a benefit. However, extras cover (sometimes called general treatment) may help with these costs.
Thankfully, some general dental costs for children are partially covered by Medicare until they turn 17.1 However, you might still want to consider extras cover for preventative or major dental, which could save you money in the long run.
Extras family cover is subject to various limits such as per person and annual limits, so make sure you know exactly what’s included before claiming for extras services, as there is a good chance you’ll still have some out-of-pocket costs.
Yes, private health insurance policies for single parents will cost more than single adult policies. This is where single parent health insurance differs from a family policy, since couples can often add dependents at no additional cost. However, health insurance for single parents still typically costs less than a two-parent family policy.
When you take out private hospital or extras cover in Australia, you may be eligible to claim the private health insurance rebate, depending on your income. This rebate allows you to either receive a lower premium for your health insurance or claim a percentage of your premiums back at tax time.
The rebate you’re entitled to is based on the income threshold you fall under and your age. As a single parent, your income is tested by the family thresholds, so if you earn under $194,000, you’ll be eligible for the highest possible rebate for your age.
If you’re separating from your partner and you’re on a family policy, you’ll both need to move to singles policies instead. However, for dependant/s to be covered, one of you will need to take out a single parent policy. You can then request an additional membership card to give to your co-parent so they can take your child to any medical appointments like dentists or the physio.
If you’re in the process of separating from your partner, there are a couple of other things you should keep in mind regarding health insurance:
Your health insurance can cover your children, but you’ll have to change to a single parent policy if you currently have singles health cover. If you’re looking to switch over, an easy way to do this is by using our free health insurance comparison service.
Some health funds might offer policies just for your children. However, you should consider including yourself in any policy you purchase since your health is also important to your family. What’s more, most health insurance providers offer policies for single parent families, so this would probably be a simpler option than children-only cover.
This will depend on your policy, but your children can often stay on your single parent health insurance cover until they turn 21. However, some health funds allow dependants to stay on their parent’s policy up to the age of 31.
In some cases, your dependent child must be studying full-time to be covered for the maximum age limit without incurring an additional cost, so it’s a good idea to check with your health fund for the terms and conditions that apply to you.
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 Australian Government Department of Human Services. Child Dental Benefits Schedule.