Most Australians see an annual rate increase letter land in their letterbox, fund app or buried in an email but aren’t entirely sure how this number comes about.
The industry average premium increase for 2026 is 4.41%, this is the highest increase in the Private Health Insurance since 2017.
How Australian Health Funds Raise Rates
Health funds cannot simply raise prices; they must pass a strict annual government audit and this process happens each and every year, with the increase typically happening on the 1st of April each year.
Meanwhile, your dentist charges more for a check up and clean, your premium goes up, and you get less back when you claim.
That’s why checking your cover matters.
Consumers should compare their current provider's 2025 increase against both the industry average and the provider's historical trend to assess relative competitiveness.
The insurers with the most modest 2026 premium increases are:
The insurers with the highest 2026 premium increases are:
You have health insurance; you usually notice the increase when it lands. What we rarely do is look back and see how far it’s actually climbed over time.
Between 2020 and 2026, the industry average increase was 22.43 percent. To put that into perspective, if you were paying $330 a month in 2020, that same policy would now cost $399.81. That’s an extra $837.67 this year for the same cover.
Small increases add up quickly. That’s why it pays to check your cover, not just when prices rise, but over time.
The table below shows premium increase rates for 30 private health insurers, displaying:
| Active Private Health Insurer | 2026% | 2025% | 10 Years | 20 Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACA Health | 4.48% | 3.16% | 32.62% | 95.58% |
| AIA | 5.98% | 5.70% | 33.96% | 33.96% |
| Australian Unity | 3.98% | 4.89% | 33.26% | 93.21% |
| BUPA | 4.80% | 5.10% | 38.43% | 97.30% |
| CBHS Corporate Health | 3.25% | 3.90% | 40.56% | 40.56% |
| CBHS Health Fund | 3.25% | 2.84% | 35.83% | 100.77% |
| Cessnock District Health | 3.92% | 2.93% | 42.84% | 104.82% |
| Defence Health | 2.99% | 3.30% | 37.50% | 88.93% |
| Doctors' Health Fund | 3.67% | 3.48% | 29.27% | 96.39% |
| GMHBA Limited | 1.98% | 2.44% | 31.93% | 97.82% |
| HBF | 2.15% | 2.80% | 31.58% | 87.98% |
| HCi | 4.53% | 2.94% | 35.89% | 94.17% |
| HIF | 2.60% | 1.91% | 42.15% | 93.33% |
| Health Partners | 3.94% | 3.43% | 33.73% | 96.48% |
| HCF | 4.96% | 4.95% | 35.43% | 99.77% |
| Latrobe Health | 4.53% | 2.89% | 35.52% | 88.93% |
| Medibank Private & AHM | 5.10% | 3.99% | 36.76% | 98.67% |
| Mildura District | 4.25% | 3.69% | 39.73% | 91.85% |
| National Health Benefits Australia | 2.96% | 2.94% | 34.96% | 84.81% |
| Navy Health Ltd | 2.88% | 2.85% | 35.79% | 82.48% |
| NIB | 5.47% | 5.79% | 39.79% | 103.69% |
| Peoplecare Health | 4.01% | 3.54% | 36.80% | 96.14% |
| Phoenix Health | 2.95% | 2.43% | 35.87% | 101.17% |
| Police Health | 2.53% | 9.56% | 35.06% | 106.95% |
| Reserve Bank Health Society | 4.13% | 3.17% | 36.71% | 102.18% |
| St Luke's Health | 4.25% | 2.88% | 32.56% | 84.56% |
| Teachers Federation Health | 3.94% | 2.94% | 32.06% | 95.01% |
| Westfund Limited | 3.26% | 3.40% | 33.18% | 89.37% |
| Industry Average | 4.41% | 3.73% | 34.47% | 95.60% |
Several key observations emerge from the data:
Say goodbye to lost emails, buried paperwork, and confusing fine print. With your Personal Policy Locker, securely store key life admin and policy documents — health, car, pet, travel, and more.
Konkrd AI cuts through the jargon to show what you’re really covered for in plain talk*. It’s your all-in-one command centre for life admin
Health Insurance
Pet Insurance
Travel Insurance
Home Insurance
Credit card
Energy
Important Information
Konkrd’s website, mobile app and associated channels (“Platform”) is an informational tool only and uses advanced AI technology to provide you with product comparisons and recommendations. Our Platform displays information from third party providers so while we strive to keep our information up to date, you should always check this information with the provider.
By accessing or using our Platform, you acknowledge and agree that your use of the Platform is governed by our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy and any other policies on our Platform.
The Platform is provided “as is” and “as available” without warranties of any kind, either express or implied and to the extent permitted by law, and Konkrd has no liability in respect of your use of the Platform and reliance on any information or recommendations provided through the product comparison services
