Should you switch to a couples health cover policy?

Published May 2025 | 4 min read
Expert contributor: Lynette Macks, HCF Head of Membership and Claims Operations
Words by Angela Tufvesson

A couples health insurance policy can save you money and simplify your life admin. Here’s how to decide if couples health cover is right for your relationship.

You’ve moved in with your partner, synced your calendars and perhaps even joined your bank accounts. Next on the list is private health insurance: should you get a couples policy?

Couples health cover allows a couple – whether you’re married or in a de facto relationship – to be covered under the same policy. There’s no minimum time requirement for how long you’ve been together.

But before you move from your singles cover to a couples policy, there are a few things to consider to make the best decision for your situation.

Do you have to get a couples policy?

Absolutely not, says Lynette Macks, HCF Head of Membership and Claims Operations. Do your research and understand your options to help you best decide on the cover that suits you and your needs.

“Couples should choose the policy that works for their situation. Every couple is different. Essentially you can stay on single policies forever if you want to, even if you’re married,” she explains.

What are the benefits of a couples health cover policy?

Couples health cover offers all the usual benefits of private health insurance – choosing your doctor and hospital, lowering your out-of-pocket costs on extras like dental, eyecare and physio – plus the added convenience of a shared plan.

Joining your cover reduces the admin load as there’s one less policy to manage. It also means you’ll get one health insurance tax statement instead of two, which simplifies your tax return if you’re eligible for a private health insurance rebate.

“At the end of the day, there’s a lot of ease and convenience in taking out a couples policy,” explains Lynette. “Sometimes there might be one person in the couple who’s more on top of these types of things.”

How can LHC loading affect a couples policy?

If you haven’t taken out hospital cover before the year you turn 31, you’ll need to pay a 2% Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) loading on top of your premium for every year you’re aged over 30. With a couples health cover policy, your LHC loading is calculated as an average of your individual loadings. So, if your LHC loading is 22% and your partner’s is 0%, the LHC loading on your couples policy is 11%.

Will you be covered for pregnancy with a couples policy?

To be covered for pregnancy, you’ll need to have HCF hospital cover that includes ‘pregnancy and birth-related services’ for at least 12 months before the baby is born. To make sure your baby is covered, you must transfer to a family membership within two months of the birth.

What else should you consider before making a change?

“It's really important firstly to be on the same page as to what cover you want to have,” says Lynette. “You really need to take into account the health needs of both people as well as your financial budgets. Finally, be aware of what it’ll mean if somebody's upgrading or downgrading their current level of cover.”

If they're upgrading, she adds, it means there may be some waiting periods for the higher level of cover, and if they're downgrading, it means they'll no longer be covered for some services.

It can be helpful to think about the following questions:

Are you in a serious relationship and ready to commit to a couples health cover policy?

Signing up for private health cover together might not be as big a commitment as signing a lease or buying a house – but it does mean you’ll need to talk about your finances and share personal health information with each other.

Does your partner have different health needs to you?

If you have different health needs – for example, if one of you has a chronic condition or more complex dental needs and the other has very few health needs – it may be more cost effective to stick with two separate policies with different levels of cover.

Does your partner have a steady income?

As some of the tax benefits of a couples policy relate to your joint income, it can be a lot easier to manage if both of you have a steady income. 

What happens if you separate?

If your relationship breaks down, you’ll no longer be eligible for couples health cover and can switch back to singles policies. If you have children, you can decide which policy to add them to.

Looking to switch to a couples policy?

We know every couple is unique. That’s why we offer a range of couples health cover options to choose what works for you and your partner. Switching policies takes less than 15 minutes. Call us on 13 13 34 or chat to us on our website and we’ll take care of the rest.