The Finance Algorithm

Essential Choice (Bronze Plus)

A Bronze Plus hospital and extras policy from Australian Unity.

Premiums for every state, cover type and excess this policy is sold with, and what it covers, from the statement Australian Unity files with the government. Monthly, before the rebate and any Lifetime Health Cover loading.

From

$125.00a month

Single, NT, $750 excess, before the rebate.

Medicare levy surcharge
Exempts you
Excess options
$500, $750
Ambulance
Emergency only, call-out fees included, no limit
Who can join
Anyone

The Private Health Information Statement for this price, on PrivateHealth.gov.au.

Against every other Bronze hospital and extras policy in NSW & ACT

Single cover, each policy at its cheapest excess, counting policies anyone can buy.

  1. Bronze72 policies$197.6025th cheapest of 72
    $160.42$306.37
This policyEvery other Bronze policy

Monthly premium by state and cover type

NSW prices also apply in the ACT. Each price in the tables opens its official Private Health Information Statement on PrivateHealth.gov.au, with a PDF to download.

Single premium in each state

NT$141
QLD$235
WA$176
SA$225
NSW$222
ACT$222
VIC$212
TAS$230
CheaperDearer

To the nearest dollar, a month before the rebate. The tables below have every price to the cent.

What a higher excess saves

Single cover in NSW & ACT, a month. The excess is what you pay towards a hospital stay before the policy pays.

  1. $500 excess
    $222.30
  2. $750 excess$24.70 less than $500 excess
    $197.60

23 of 38 clinical categories covered in full, 3 restricted

Restricted means the policy pays only the minimum, about what a public hospital charges, so a private hospital stay can leave a large bill. Not covered means the policy pays nothing for that treatment in hospital.

  • Covered in full23
  • Restricted3
  • Not covered12

Covered 23

  • Blood
  • Bone, joint and muscle
  • Brain and nervous system
  • Breast surgery (medically necessary)
  • Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy for cancer
  • Dental surgery
  • Diabetes management (excluding insulin pumps)
  • Digestive system
  • Ear, nose and throat
  • Eye (not cataracts)
  • Gastrointestinal endoscopy
  • Gynaecology
  • Hernia and appendix
  • Joint reconstructions
  • Kidney and bladder
  • Lung and chest
  • Male reproductive system
  • Miscarriage and termination of pregnancy
  • Pain management
  • Podiatric surgery (provided by a registered podiatric surgeon)
  • Skin
  • Sleep studies
  • Tonsils, adenoids and grommets

Restricted 3

  • Hospital psychiatric services
  • Palliative care
  • Rehabilitation

Not covered 12

  • Assisted reproductive services
  • Back, neck and spine
  • Cataracts
  • Dialysis for chronic kidney failure
  • Heart and vascular system
  • Implantation of hearing devices
  • Insulin pumps
  • Joint replacements
  • Pain management with device
  • Plastic and reconstructive surgery (medically necessary)
  • Pregnancy and birth
  • Weight loss surgery

Waiting periods

Pre-existing conditions
12 months
Psychiatric, rehabilitation and palliative care
2 months
All other hospital treatment
2 months

Excess and other costs

Excess options: $500, $750, paid when you are admitted. No excess for dependants.

From the insurer: Day surgery excess is limited to half the total per person excess (where no overnight stay). If the total per person excess isn’t paid after your first hospital admission you will pay the balance on any subsequent admission(s) within the calendar year. Additional Benefits of the cover: Hospital Substitution Programs, Preventative Health Services and Health Support Programs. Waiting periods may apply. Please refer to the product Fact Sheet or contact Australian Unity for further details.

Pays towards 14 of 27 standard services

Yearly limits, per person, against the typical policy

  1. General dentalshared with major dental, endodontic (root canals)
    $700typical policy $800
  2. Major dentalshared with general dental, endodontic (root canals)
    $700typical policy $1,000
  3. Optical
    $200typical policy $220
  4. Physiotherapyshared with exercise physiology
    $350typical policy $450
  5. Chiropracticshared with osteopathy
    $250typical policy $400
  6. Psychology
    $100typical policy $400
This policyTypical policy

What it pays on common claims, against the typical policy

  1. Periodic oral exam (item 012)
    60% of the feetypical policy $35.20
  2. Scale and clean (item 114)
    60% of the feetypical policy $66.85
  3. Full crown, veneered (item 615)
    60% of the feetypical policy $773.80
  4. Single vision lenses and frames
    100% of the feetypical policy $220.00
  5. Physiotherapy, first visit
    60% of the feetypical policy $42.00
  6. Psychology, first visit
    60% of the feetypical policy $75.00
This policyTypical policy
ServiceWaiting periodYearly limit, per personExample benefits (all states)
General dentalconditions apply2 months$700shared with major dental, endodontic (root canals)Periodic oral exam (item 012): 60%Scale and clean (item 114): 60%Fluoride treatment (item 121): 60%
Major dentalconditions apply12 months$700shared with general dental, endodontic (root canals)Surgical extraction (item 322): 60%Full crown, veneered (item 615): 60%
Endodontic (root canals)12 months$700shared with general dental, major dentalRoot canal filling (item 417): 60%
Optical6 months$200Multifocal lenses and frames: 100%Single vision lenses and frames: 100%
Physiotherapy2 months$350shared with exercise physiologyPhysiotherapy, first visit: 60%Physiotherapy, later visit: 60%
Chiropracticconditions apply2 months$250shared with osteopathyChiropractic, first visit: 60%Chiropractic, later visit: 60%
Podiatry2 months$200Podiatry, first visit: 60%Podiatry, later visit: 60%
Psychology2 months$100Psychology, first visit: 60%Psychology, later visit: 60%
Acupuncture2 months$200shared with remedial massageAcupuncture, first visit: 60%Acupuncture, later visit: 60%
Remedial massage2 months$200shared with acupunctureRemedial massage, first visit: 60%Remedial massage, later visit: 60%
Dietetics2 months$200Dietetics, first visit: 60%Dietetics, later visit: 60%
Exercise physiology2 months$350shared with physiotherapyExercise physiology, first visit: 60%Exercise physiology, later visit: 60%
Osteopathy2 months$250shared with chiropracticOsteopathy, first visit: 60%Osteopathy, later visit: 60%
Vaccinationsconditions applyNone$100Vaccination: 60%

Not covered: orthodontics, non-pbs medicines, hearing aids, blood glucose monitors, audiology, antenatal and postnatal, chinese herbal medicine, orthoptics, health management programs, home nursing, occupational therapy, orthotics, speech therapy.

Other services: Annual benefit limits apply per calendar year. Myotherapy also included - 60% of the consultation fee, maximum of $200 per person (Combined limit with Acupuncture and Remedial Massage), 2 month waiting period. There are Preventative Health Services and Health Support Programs available on this cover. Please refer to the product Fact Sheet or contact Australian Unity for further details.

1) No waiting-period for preventative dental and selected diagnostic services.T reatments claimed as No Gap Dental benefits (where available) do not count to yearly limit. 2) A full denture replacement is limited to once every three years. 3) Surgical tooth extractions and treatment of gum disease have a 12-month waiting period. 4) Limit of one chiropractic x-ray per person per calendar year. 5) Travel Vaccinations only.

Example benefits are what the policy pays for that item at a provider without a special arrangement with the insurer; a percentage is of the fee charged. The typical policy is the middle one of the 708 extras policies on the market that aren't sold only through employers.

Compare

Source: PrivateHealth.gov.au data (Private Health Insurance Ombudsman) via data.gov.au, licensed CC BY 3.0 AU. Normalised by The Finance Algorithm from the extract dated 1 Oct 2026, read on 23 Oct 2026.

Premiums are monthly and shown before the Australian Government rebate and any Lifetime Health Cover loading or age-based discount. Confirm the price and the cover with the insurer before you buy; the official statement for every policy is on PrivateHealth.gov.au. This is general information, not advice, and no insurer pays to be listed or ranked here.