What are waiting periods in health insurance?

Waiting periods in health insurance are durations after policy commencement during which claims for specific services cannot be made. They prevent immediate claims post-sign-up. Typically, waiting periods range from two months for general treatments to 12 months for pre-existing conditions or major procedures.

How can I get health insurance with no waiting period?

To obtain health insurance without waiting periods, consider switching to a policy with equal or lesser coverage; previous waiting periods may be recognized. Additionally, some insurers offer promotions waiving waiting periods for certain Extras services to attract new customers.

What is the mental health waiting period exemption?

The mental health waiting period exemption allows individuals to upgrade their Hospital cover for psychiatric services without serving additional waiting periods, provided they've completed the initial two-month period. This exemption is available once in a lifetime and applies to mental health and substance abuse treatments.

Which insurers are offering no waiting period on Extras cover?

Insurers like AAMI, ahm, and Apia Health waive 2- and 6-month waiting periods on Extras from time to time for new members purchasing combined Hospital and Extras policies. These offers are time-limited and subject to specific terms and conditions.

What is a pre-existing condition in health insurance?

A pre-existing condition refers to any ailment, illness or condition where signs or symptoms were present in the six months before taking out or upgrading your Hospital cover. Health funds usually apply a 12-month waiting period for treatment related to pre-existing conditions, regardless of whether you previously sought treatment.

Do waiting periods apply when switching health insurance policies?

When switching to a policy with the same or lower coverage, previously served waiting periods are typically honored. However, if the new policy includes additional services not covered before, new waiting periods may apply to those specific services.

Health Insurance With No Waiting Period (2026 Guide)

Q: Do I need to re-serve waiting periods if I switch providers?

No, not usually. If you switch to a policy with the same or lower level of cover, your new insurer should recognise waiting periods you've already served. However, if your new policy includes additional benefits or higher limits, you may need to serve waiting periods for those specific items.

Q: Is there any health insurance with no pregnancy waiting period?

All Hospital policies that cover pregnancy and birth have a 12-month waiting period, which applies industry-wide. There's no option to skip or fast-track this period, so you’ll need to plan well ahead if you want private hospital cover for maternity services during your pregnancy.

Health Insurance With No Waiting Period

A health insurance waiting period is the time you must wait before you can make a claim after you take out a new policy.

Waiting periods typically range from 2 - 12 months
Some insurers waive waiting periods on Extras cover (but not Hospital)
Our experts can help you compare policies and understand waiting periods

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Can you get health insurance with no waiting period?

It’ll depend on the type of cover you take out:

Hospital cover (generally, NO)

All hospital policies have a minimum waiting period of two months for most treatments, including procedures such as joint replacements and cataract surgery, provided the condition is new. Pre-existing conditions and obstetrics (pregnancy and birth) have longer waiting periods of 12 months. If you’re switching to the same level of cover (or lower) with a different provider you won’t have to re-sit waiting periods.

Extras cover (YES, in some cases)

Many health funds waive certain waiting periods on extras cover such as dental, optical, and physiotherapy to attract new members. These offers are often promoted as “2- and 6-month waiting periods waived on extras” but may come with conditions, such as applying only to specific out-of-hospital treatments.

What are health insurance waiting periods?

Health insurance waiting periods are the set timeframes you must wait after taking out a policy for the first time, or upgrading your cover, before you can claim benefits. Waiting periods apply to both Hospital and Extras cover.

The length of a waiting period depends on the type of treatment, usually ranging from two to 12 months.

For example, health insurance for pregnancy typically has a 12-month waiting period, so you would need to take out an appropriate level of hospital cover, such as Gold cover, and hold it for 12 months before you can claim for birth-related services and treatment.

Why do waiting periods apply?

According to PrivateHealth.gov.au, health insurance waiting periods help prevent people from taking out cover and making an immediate claim.

They protect existing members by reducing the risk of individuals making a large claim soon after joining and then cancelling their cover, which would otherwise lead to higher premiums for all policyholders.

Waiting periods are one of the potential disadvantages of health insurance, as they apply in most scenarios. But there are a handful of situations where getting health insurance with no waiting period may be possible. The catch is, you generally need to have cover in place already to qualify.

Here are some providers offering to waive the waiting periods on selected extras.

Provider	AAMI
No waiting period offer	AAMI is waiving the 2 & 6 month waiting periods when you take out a combined Hospital and Extras policy (eligible new customers only, T&Cs apply).
Offer expires	16 February 2026
Provider	Apia Health
No waiting period offer	Join now on Hospital and Extras and skip the 2 & 6 month wait on Extras (eligible new customers only, T&Cs apply).
Offer expires	16 February 2026
Provider	CBHS
No waiting period offer	Commbank employees and their families who take out a combined Hospital and Extras policy will have the 2 & 6 month waiting periods waived on Extras (eligible new customers only, T&Cs apply).
Offer expires	18 February 2026
Provider	Frank Health Insurance
No waiting period offer	Frank is offering to waive 2 & 6 month waiting periods on Extras when you join as a new customer on a combined hospital and extras policy. (T&Cs apply)
Offer expires	31 August 2026
Provider	GMHBA
No waiting period offer	2 & 6 month waiting periods will be waived on Extras when you join with a combined hospital and extras policy. (New customers only, T&Cs apply).
Offer expires	Until withdrawn
Provider	HBF
No waiting period offer	Join now on combined Hospital and Extras and skip the 2-month wait on Extras (eligible new customers only, T&Cs apply).
Offer expires	10 March 2026
Provider	Health Partners
No waiting period offer	Purchase combined Hospital and Extras cover and avoid the waits on most Extras with a 2-month waiting period after the first contribution payment has been received (eligible new customers only, T&Cs apply).
Offer expires	28 February 2026
Provider	HIF
No waiting period offer	Purchase combined Hospital and Extras cover and avoid the waits on most Extras with a 2-month waiting period (eligible customers only, T&Cs apply).
Offer expires	30 April 2026
Provider	Medibank
No waiting period offer	Take out new Bronze Hospital and Extras cover or higher and avoid the 2 & 6 month waiting periods on Extras (eligible customers only, T&Cs apply).
Offer expires	Until withdrawn
Provider	nib
No waiting period offer	Take out combined Hospital and Extras cover get the 2- and 6-month waits waived on selected Extras (eligible new customers only, T&Cs apply.
Offer expires	28 February 2026
Provider	see-u by HBF
No waiting period offer	Say goodbye to the 2 & 6 month waiting periods on Extras when you take out combined Hospital and Extras cover (eligible new customers only, T&Cs apply).
Offer expires	31 March 2026
Provider	Suncorp Health Insurance
No waiting period offer	Join on combined Hospital and Extras cover to get the 2 & 6 month waiting periods waived on Extras, T&Cs apply).
Offer expires	16 February 2026

Provider	No waiting period offer	Offer expires
AAMI	AAMI is waiving the 2 & 6 month waiting periods when you take out a combined Hospital and Extras policy (eligible new customers only, T&Cs apply).	16 February 2026
Apia Health	Join now on Hospital and Extras and skip the 2 & 6 month wait on Extras (eligible new customers only, T&Cs apply).	16 February 2026
CBHS	Commbank employees and their families who take out a combined Hospital and Extras policy will have the 2 & 6 month waiting periods waived on Extras (eligible new customers only, T&Cs apply).	18 February 2026
Frank Health Insurance	Frank is offering to waive 2 & 6 month waiting periods on Extras when you join as a new customer on a combined hospital and extras policy. (T&Cs apply)	31 August 2026
GMHBA	2 & 6 month waiting periods will be waived on Extras when you join with a combined hospital and extras policy. (New customers only, T&Cs apply).	Until withdrawn
HBF	Join now on combined Hospital and Extras and skip the 2-month wait on Extras (eligible new customers only, T&Cs apply).	10 March 2026
Health Partners	Purchase combined Hospital and Extras cover and avoid the waits on most Extras with a 2-month waiting period after the first contribution payment has been received (eligible new customers only, T&Cs apply).	28 February 2026
HIF	Purchase combined Hospital and Extras cover and avoid the waits on most Extras with a 2-month waiting period (eligible customers only, T&Cs apply).	30 April 2026
Medibank	Take out new Bronze Hospital and Extras cover or higher and avoid the 2 & 6 month waiting periods on Extras (eligible customers only, T&Cs apply).	Until withdrawn
nib	Take out combined Hospital and Extras cover get the 2- and 6-month waits waived on selected Extras (eligible new customers only, T&Cs apply.	28 February 2026
see-u by HBF	Say goodbye to the 2 & 6 month waiting periods on Extras when you take out combined Hospital and Extras cover (eligible new customers only, T&Cs apply).	31 March 2026
Suncorp Health Insurance	Join on combined Hospital and Extras cover to get the 2 & 6 month waiting periods waived on Extras, T&Cs apply).	16 February 2026

Offer details correct as at 2 February 2026. Before applying for cover, read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and other policy documents to understand whether it's right for you.

Here are some situations when it may be possible to avoid health insurance waiting periods:

Switch to the same level cover or lower
You can get health insurance with no waiting period on a Hospital policy if you already have cover, and then sign up for a new policy that offers the same or a lower level of coverage.

The new insurer must recognise that you have already served the appropriate waiting period.

If your new policy includes coverage that your old policy didn’t, you may need to serve a waiting period for the new inclusions.

If you're switching from singles health insurance to a couples policy (or vice versa), the waiting period you already served as an individual would be recognised under the new policy.
Mental health exemption
If you have a Hospital policy that includes psychiatric cover, you may be able to upgrade to a higher level of psychiatric cover without needing to serve a further waiting period. You would need to already have served the two-month waiting period on your existing lower level of cover.

The ‘mental health waiting period exemption’ applies to mental health services and drug and alcohol treatment. You can only use this exemption once in your lifetime.

Note if you upgrade your cover in this way, your health insurance will likely become more expensive.
Extras cover with waiting periods waived
Waiting periods on Extras are not as strictly regulated. This means insurers have more flexibility to tailor waiting periods to particular conditions, or waive the waiting period entirely in some cases.

For example, it’s relatively common to see health insurance special offers where insurers offer Extras cover with no waiting period on certain conditions for new customers. This is usually a temporary special offer as opposed to a standard feature of the cover.

The waived waiting period is generally only for certain types of Extras cover – commonly those with a two- or six-month waiting period. The standard waiting period applies to anything else not included in the special offer.

For hospital cover, there are legal limits on the maximum waiting periods insurers can apply. Here are the waiting periods for hospital cover as per the Private Health Insurance Act 2007:

Pregnancy and birth (12 months)

For pregnancy and birth-related services (obstetrics), you’ll need to serve a 12-month waiting period. This means if children are on the cards, you’ll need to take out an appropriate level of cover at least a year in advance of the due date if you want to claim maternity-related hospital services.

Pre-existing conditions (12 months)

The Private Health Insurance Ombudsman defines a pre-existing condition as any illness or ailment with signs or symptoms in the six months before you took out a hospital policy or upgraded your cover. These conditions come with a 12-month waiting period before you can make a claim.

Psychiatric care, rehabilitation and palliative care (2 months)

Psychiatric care, rehabilitation, and palliative care each have a two-month waiting period, even for pre-existing conditions. Psychiatric care involves hospital treatment for mental health; rehabilitation provides therapy and support after illness or surgery; and palliative care focuses on comfort and quality of life for people with serious illnesses.

In-hospital treatment (2 months)

A two-month waiting period applies to treatment in hospital for a range of conditions. This refers to both treatment as a private patient in a public or private hospital setting. Refer to the product disclosure statement (PDS) to see which waiting period applies to treatments covered under the hospital policy.

Waiting periods on extras cover

Unlike hospital cover, extras are not regulated in the same way, so waiting periods can vary between insurers and policies. This means health funds set their own waiting periods for extras. Here’s a typical guide for some common treatments:

General dental (2 months): Most insurers require a two-month wait before you can claim for basic dental services like cleans, fillings and x-rays.

Optical (2–6 months): Optical cover usually has a two-month waiting period, but some funds or policies may require up to six months.

Physiotherapy (2–6 months): Waiting periods for physio, exercise programs and rehab for injuries or movement issues typically range from two to six months.

Chiropractic & osteopathy (2 months): These services often have a two-month waiting period.

Orthodontics & major dental (12 months): Major dental work and orthodontic treatments usually come with a 12-month waiting period.

Podiatry (2–6 months): Treatments related to feet and ankles generally require a wait of two to six months.

Ambulance (1 day): Emergency ambulance services commonly have a one-day waiting period.

FAQs about health insurance waiting periods

What is a pre-existing condition and does it affect waiting periods?

The term ‘pre-existing health condition’ under a health insurance policy is closely defined as:

Any ailment, illness, or condition that you had signs or symptoms of during the six months before you joined a hospital policy or upgraded to a higher level of hospital cover.

A condition can still be classed as pre-existing even if you hadn’t seen your doctor about it before starting the hospital cover or upgrading to a higher hospital policy.

The decision about whether a condition was pre-existing will be made by a medical practitioner appointed by your insurer.

Even if you have pre-existing conditions, you cannot be charged more for health insurance on that basis, and you will be covered for treatment once you’re served the waiting period.

The waiting period on a pre-existing health condition can be a maximum of 12 months under hospital cover. The exceptions here are psychiatric treatments, rehabilitation and palliative care. These services have a two-month waiting period, even if the condition is pre-existing.

Do I need to re-serve waiting periods if I switch providers?

No, you won’t need to re-serve waiting periods on hospital cover if you have already served the waiting period for the same kind of cover. However, if you are applying for new or upgraded cover, you will need to serve a waiting period on anything you weren’t already covered for.

For example, if you switch your family health cover to a new insurer and have already served the waiting period for pregnancy on your old policy, most health funds won't require you to serve the waiting period again if you're having more children.

Do any health funds waive waiting periods?

Health funds must waive the waiting period for new customers who are joining on the same or a lower level of hospital cover than they already have with their existing insurer. The waiver won’t apply to conditions or treatments the customer has not already served the full waiting period on.

This applies to all types of customers, including singles, couples, seniors, families and single-parent families.

Every person can upgrade their mental health related cover once in their lifetime, without needing to re-sit the waiting period they already had on a lower level of cover.

On extras cover, some providers waive the waiting periods on certain items as an incentive to attract new customers. This can be a handy way to access benefits sooner, assuming the policy is the best health insurance option for your needs overall.

Is there any health insurance with no pregnancy waiting period?

You're unlikely to find a health insurance provider that waives the waiting period on pregnancy cover. Virtually all health funds impose a 12-month waiting period on pregnancy related cover.

Can I get dental insurance with no waiting period?

Some health funds offer extras policies with no waiting periods on dental, especially for new customers. However, this varies by insurer and policy, so it’s important to check the specific terms or talk to a health insurance advisor before signing up.

Can I get optical insurance with no waiting period?

Certain funds may waive the waiting period for optical cover to attract new members, but many policies still require a wait of two to six months. Always review the policy fine print to confirm.

What happens if I pause my health cover?

According to nib, if you pause your policy before completing your waiting periods, those waiting times will simply be put on hold and must be finished once your cover restarts. The waiting periods won’t restart or expire during the break.

Can I use private health insurance straight away?

You can use private health insurance immediately for some services, but most treatments require you to complete the waiting periods first. Emergency ambulance cover often starts immediately or has a one-day wait.

Do Bupa and Medibank waive waiting periods?

Both Bupa and Medibank sometimes offer promotions that waive waiting periods on extras, but conditions apply. These offers vary, so check current policies and terms before joining. Other insurers also waive waiting periods at times.

Can I still use my health insurance if I haven’t served the waiting period?

You can keep your policy active, but you cannot claim for treatments that have waiting periods until those periods are completed. However, you may still be able to claim for services that don’t have waiting periods or for emergency care.

Important information

General information only

The information on this page is general in nature and has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consider whether the information provided and the nature of any product is suitable for you and seek independent advice if necessary.

We do not compare all health insurance providers and products available in Australia and we do not guarantee that our product comparisons include all product features and attributes relevant to you.

In providing general information on this page, we are not providing you with a recommendation or suggestion about a particular product. You should read the relevant disclosure statements or other offer documents before deciding whether to apply for or continue to use a particular product.

However, when a customer requests that we contact them regarding health insurance, after being on the Money.com.au website, we will take the information they provide into account when providing the customer with a range of health insurance product options.

How we provide personalised health insurance comparisons

We have partnered with The ItsMy Group (ABN 85 167 289 965) to form our panel of health insurance providers. If a Money.com.au insurance advisor helps you find a more suitable product and you join that health insurer, IMG receive a payment from that fund, which they pass on to us. This is normally a one-off fee but it can also be paid in increments over time.

There is no charge to consumers to use the service, and any payment we receive does not change the price you pay for the product. Our health insurance advisors do not know how much we are paid by the fund they recommend.

Both Money.com.au and The ItsMy Group are members of the Private Health Insurance Intermediaries Association (“PHIIA”) and are have signed up to the PHIIA Code of Conduct.

Which brands do we compare?

Our customers have access to offers from a range of health insurance partners:

AHM

AIA Health

Australian Unity

Australian Seniors

Bupa

Frank Health Insurance

GMHBA

HCF

Health Care Insurance

Health Partners

HIF

Hunter Health Insurance

Navy Health

NIB

Peoplecare

Phoenix Health

Real Insurance

RT Health

Seniors Health

Teachers Health

TUH Health Fund

Union Health

Please note, we do not compare all health funds in the market, or all policies from our partner funds, and at times certain funds or products might be unavailable.

Dispute Resolution and Complaints

At Money.com.au, we aim to provide you with the highest level of service, but we also understand that occasionally you may not be 100% happy with us. If that’s the case, you can let us know by emailing us at support@money.com.au

If we can’t resolve your issue immediately, a senior manager will respond to you at the latest by the next business day from receipt of your enquiry. If we are still unable to resolve the matter within three days, it will be escalated to the attention of the CEO.

You could also contact your health fund or the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman’s office (PHIO):

For general information about private health insurance, see https://www.privatehealth.gov.au/

To make a complaint, contact the Commonwealth Ombudsman at www.ombudsman.gov.au

Speak to a Health Expert

Our Australian-based call centre is open weekdays between 9am and 5pm (AEST) with our team of experts ready to help!

You can reach us on 1300 001 359 or (02) 8528 1995.

#ahm Offer: “6 Weeks Free” (1 Feb – 31 March 2026)

Offer

Get 6 weeks free when you purchase an eligible extras-only policy.

Offer period

Start Date: 1 February 2026

End Date: 31 March 2026

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible extras-only products include: Black 50 Saver, Black 60, Black 70, Black 70 Boost, Choosable 50-Teeth, Family Extras, Lifestyle Extras, Super Extras.

Only available on direct debit.

Must maintain eligible extras only cover continuously for 60 days from the cover start date and pay your premium for this period to receive 6 weeks free.

If you change to an ineligible cover during this period, 6 weeks free will not be issued.

Note: This offer is not available:

to members been covered with ahm within the previous 30 days before their cover start date.

to members who don't pay their contributions via direct debit.

to members purchasing Hospital only, Hospital and Extras packages or combinations, Ambulance only or overseas student health cover (OSHC).

Fulfilment of Six Weeks Free

Customers need to meet all eligibility criteria as outlined above

Members who join ahm with a policy start date outside of the Offer Period, can qualify for the Offer. As long as the join is processed within start and end date of offer.

Must maintain eligible extras only cover continuously for 60 days from the cover start date and pay your premium for this period to receive 6 weeks free. If you change to an ineligible cover during this period, 6 weeks free will not be issued.

Refer to terms and conditions for full information.

Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions: Get 6 weeks free when you purchase extras cover (1 Feb – 31 March 2026)

Available for new members on new memberships who have not held ahm hospital and/or extras cover in the 30 days before their cover start date.

Must join an eligible ahm extras only cover between 1 February 2026-31 March 2026.

Only available on direct debit.

Only available on an Extras only product.

Not available in conjunction with any other ahm or third party offers.

Not available for Hospital only, Hospital and - Extras packages or combinations, Ambulance only or overseas student health cover (OSHC).

Cannot be redeemed for cash.

Other waiting periods may apply to hospital and/or extras cover.

Annual limits on extras cover apply. If switching funds, any amount of your annual limits used while you were with your previous fund may be deducted.

*Bupa Offer: “6 Weeks Free” (2 Feb – 31 March 2026)

Offer

Get 6 weeks free when you purchase a combined Hospital and Extras policy.

Offer period

Start Date: 2 February 2026

End Date: 31 March 2026

Eligibility Criteria

The offer only applies to hospital and extras (combined), not extras-only nor hospital-only policies.

Note: This offer is not available:

An eligible customer must:

not have held Bupa Health Insurance in the last 60 days prior to join date

be an Australian resident over the age of 18;

pay their health insurance premiums by direct debit; and

provide a valid email address.

The Offer is not available to any customers attached to a corporate group including employees [or contractors] of Bupa, or any other Bupa Group company.

EXCLUDED PRODUCTS: Any hospital product when combined with Freedom 50 and Freedom 60 Extras products (Freedom 60 Boost is included in this offer).

Fulfilment of Six Weeks Free

Customers need to meet all eligibility criteria as outlined above.

In most cases, the 6 weeks free will be applied 28 days after you join, extending the date you're "paid to".

If your weeks free period ends before your next direct debit date, we may take a smallerthan-usual payment to make up the difference.

Refer to terms and conditions for full information.

Terms and Conditions

The Offer All Eligible Customers (see section 2 below) will receive from Bupa HI Pty Ltd (ABN 81 000 057 590) (Bupa): a) 6 weeks free health insurance on the following terms and conditions.

i. In most cases, your 6 weeks free will be applied 28 days after you join, extending the date you're "paid to".

ii. If your weeks free period ends before your next direct debit date, we may take a smaller- than-usual payment to make up the difference.

Eligibility An eligible customer must: a) not have held Bupa Health Insurance in the last 60 days prior to join date b) join through The ItsMy Group Pty Ltd (ABN 85 167 289 965); c) be an Australian resident over the age of 18; d) take out an Eligible Bupa Health Insurance Policy (see section 3 below) between 02/02/2026 and 31/03/2026 and such policy must commence by 30/04/2026, maintain that cover and meet all payment obligations for 28 consecutive days from the join date and be financial to receive the 6 weeks free offer, with the payment value of the free weeks to be calculated on the level of cover at the time the payment is made; e) pay their health insurance premiums by direct debit; and f) provide a valid email address. If they meet all of the eligibility criteria above, they are an Eligible Customer.

Eligible Bupa Health Insurance Policy An Eligible Bupa Health Insurance Policy is a combined domestic Hospital and Extras product or packaged product issued by Bupa and available through The ItsMy Group Pty Ltd but excludes any hospital product when combined with Freedom 50 and Freedom 60 Extras products (Freedom 60 Boost is included in this offer)

General a) Yearly limits, waiting periods, benefit claiming restrictions, fund and policy rules apply. b) The Offer is not available with any other Bupa promotional join offer provided by Bupa. c) If you do not satisfy these terms and conditions before becoming entitled to the Offer then Bupa may elect, acting reasonably, not to award you with the Offer. If Bupa discovers that you did not satisfy

these terms and conditions after the Offer has been awarded, then Bupa may decide, acting reasonably, to remove the Offer. d) Bupa reserves the right to end, change or extend this offer at any time. e) Bupa is not liable for any loss or damage suffered because of this promotion (except that which cannot be excluded by law). f) The Offer is not available to any customers attached to a corporate group including employees [or contractors] of Bupa, or any other Bupa Group company.

†NIB Offer: “6 Weeks Free + No Waiver of Extra Waits” (1 – 28 Feb 2026)

The offer only applies to hospital and extras (combined) policies, not extras-only or hospital-only policies.

This offer does not apply to members transferring from a product issued by nib (including Qantas Health Insurance, Suncorp Health Insurance, GU Health Insurance, AAMI Health Insurance, Apia Health Insurance, ING, Priceline Health Insurance, Real Health Insurance, Seniors Health Insurance, nib International Workers Health Insurance, nib Overseas Students Health Insurance, or nib Corporate Health Insurance) at the time of joining the Eligible Product, or who have cancelled any of these policies within 6 months before or during the offer period.

Excluded Products: Deluxe Saver Silver Plus Hospital.

The Offer consists of adjusting the “paid to” date on the qualifying policy to reflect the reduction off the premium payable for an amount equating to 6 weeks of the annual premium.

Eligible Members must maintain the Eligible Product up to the date of the Offer being applied to the active policy, being 29 April 2026 (Fulfilment Date). The Offer will be forfeited if the Eligible Member is not an active policyholder on the Fulfilment Date, if premium payments are not up to date on the Fulfilment Date, or if the policy is cancelled prior to the end of the adjusted “paid to” date provided under the Offer.

Members who join nib with a policy start date outside of the Offer Period can qualify for the Offer, provided the join is processed within the start and end dates of the Offer.

6 Weeks Free Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions apply to the nib join offer to join and receive “6 Weeks Free” (Offer).

The Promoter of this Offer is ItsMy Group Pty Ltd ABN 85 167 289 965 of 10/1 Middle Road, Malvern East, VIC 3145 (Promoter). By joining, claimants agree to be bound by these conditions.

The Offer commences at 12:00 am (AEDT) on 1 February 2026 and closes at 11:59 pm (AEDT) on 28 February 2026 (Offer Period). Policies joined after 11:59 pm (AEDT) on 28 February 2026 will not be eligible for the Offer.

This Offer is open only to Australian citizens, permanent residents of Australia, or those entitled to full reciprocal rights under Medicare, registered for Medicare and listed on an active Medicare card, who are 18 years or over as at the date of joining (Eligible Members).

The Offer is only available to Eligible Members who join an nib combined Hospital and Extras Australian resident’s health insurance product (nib ARHI product) through the Promoter’s approved channels during the Offer Period (Eligible Product). The Offer does not apply to any other private health insurance product issued by nib, or to any member moving from one of these products to an Eligible Product. The Offer excludes non-health related insurance products (e.g. travel).

nib may request proof of identity, residency and eligibility to ensure the Eligible Member meets the Private Health Insurance requirements for the Eligible Product.

For clarity, Eligible Members who join an Eligible Product during the Offer Period with a policy start date outside of the Offer Period can qualify for the Offer, subject to compliance with: a) these Terms and Conditions (including the Eligibility Requirements); and b) any other terms and conditions imposed by nib in relation to the selection of policy start dates.

The Offer consists of adjusting the “paid to” date on the qualifying policy to reflect the reduction off the premium payable for an amount equating to 6 weeks of the annual premium.

To receive the Offer, Eligible Members must: a) successfully join an Eligible Product during the Offer Period through one of the Promoter’s approved channels. Ineligible products include Basic Kickstarter, Basic Accident Hospital and Value Extras; b) maintain the Eligible Product up to the Fulfilment Date, being 29 April 2026. The Offer will be forfeited if the Eligible Member is not an active policyholder on the Fulfilment Date, if premium payments are not up to date on the Fulfilment Date, or if the policy is cancelled prior to the end of the adjusted “paid to” date; c) not be a current policyholder of a product issued by nib (including nib Corporate Private Health Insurance, Qantas Health Insurance, Suncorp Health Insurance, GU Health Insurance, AAMI Health Insurance, Apia Health Insurance, ING Health Insurance, Priceline Health Insurance, Real Health Insurance, or Seniors Health Insurance) at the time of joining the Eligible Product, nor have cancelled any of these policies within 6 months before or during the Offer Period, excluding transfers from nib International Workers Health Insurance, nib International Students Health Insurance, or where a dependant or spouse transitions to their own policy; d) have a valid email address applied to their policy; and e) not be an employee of the Promoter (Eligibility Requirements).

Limit of one Offer per Eligible Product commenced during the Offer Period.

The Offer cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion except for nib’s “2 and 6 Month Waiver” offer.

If an Eligible Member satisfies the Eligibility Requirements, the Promoter will email the Eligible Member confirming qualification for the Offer and that the “paid to” date has been adjusted in accordance with clause 8.

The Offer cannot be redeemed for cash, refunded, replaced after expiry, or treated as legal tender, an account card, credit, or security.

Subject to any rights under applicable laws, the Promoter excludes all liability to the maximum extent permitted by law for any loss or damage (including loss of opportunity, profits, or business) arising in connection with the Offer.

Nothing in these Terms and Conditions restricts or modifies statutory consumer rights under applicable law, including the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth).

The Promoter may amend or withdraw all or part of this Offer at any time and substitute it with another offer of equal or greater value. No compensation will be payable where an Offer is substituted.

The Promoter is not responsible for undelivered emails due to spam filters or email settings.

The Promoter reserves the right to disqualify any person who provides false information or seeks to gain an unfair advantage or manipulate the Offer.

Personal information will be collected by the Promoter for the purpose of conducting and promoting this Offer and improving services. By claiming the Offer, Eligible Members consent to the use of their personal information in accordance with the Promoter’s Privacy Policy at https://www.itsmyhealthinsurance.com.au/privacy . If personal information is not provided, participation in the Offer may not be possible.

2 & 6 Month Waiver Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions apply to the nib join offer to join and receive a “2 and 6 Month Waiver” (Waiver).

The Promoter of this Waiver is ItsMy Group Pty Ltd ABN 85 167 289 965 of 10/1 Middle Road, Malvern East, VIC 3145 (Promoter). By joining, claimants agree to be bound by these conditions.

The Waiver commences at 12:00 am (AEDT) on 1 November 2025 and remains available unless amended, withdrawn, cancelled or suspended by nib in accordance with these Terms and Conditions.

The Waiver is open only to Australian citizens, permanent residents, or those entitled to full reciprocal Medicare rights, registered for Medicare and listed on an active Medicare card, who are 18 years or over as at the date of joining (Eligible Members).

The Waiver is only available to Eligible Members who join an nib combined Hospital and Extras Australian resident’s health insurance product (nib ARHI product) through the Promoter’s approved channels during the Waiver Period (Eligible Product). The Waiver does not apply to other private health insurance products issued by nib, nor to members transferring from those products. Non-health insurance products (e.g. travel) are excluded.

nib may request proof of identity, residency and eligibility to ensure compliance with Private Health Insurance requirements.

Eligible Members who join an Eligible Product during the Waiver Period with a policy start date outside the Waiver Period may still qualify, subject to compliance with these Terms and Conditions and any nib requirements regarding policy start dates.

The Waiver consists of waiving the 2-month and 6-month waiting periods on all Extras services that normally require those waiting periods under the Eligible Product.

To receive the Waiver, Eligible Members must: a) successfully join an Eligible Product during the Waiver Period through approved channels (ineligible products include Basic Kickstarter, Basic Accident Hospital and Value Extras); b) not be a current policyholder of a product issued by nib (including nib Overseas Students Health Insurance, nib International Workers Health Insurance, nib Corporate Private Health Insurance, Qantas Health Insurance, Suncorp Health Insurance, GU Health Insurance, AAMI Health Insurance, Apia Health Insurance, ING Health Insurance, Priceline Health Insurance, Real Health Insurance, or Seniors Health Insurance) at the time of joining, nor have cancelled any of these products within 6 months before or during the Waiver Period; c) have a valid email address applied to their policy; and d) not be an employee of the Promoter (Eligibility Requirements).

The Waiver cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion unless otherwise stated.

The Promoter will apply the Waiver at the policy start date. The Waiver becomes effective for claims only once the first premium payment is successfully processed and the policy is deemed financial.

The Waiver cannot be redeemed for cash, refunded, replaced after expiry, or treated as legal tender, an account card, credit, or security.

Subject to applicable laws, the Promoter excludes all liability to the maximum extent permitted by law for any loss or damage arising in connection with the Waiver.

Nothing in these Terms and Conditions restricts or modifies statutory consumer rights under applicable law, including the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth).

The Promoter may amend or withdraw all or part of this Waiver at any time and substitute it with another offer of equal or greater value.

The Promoter reserves the right to disqualify any person who provides false information or seeks to gain an unfair advantage or manipulate the Waiver.

Personal information will be collected for the purpose of conducting and promoting the Waiver and improving services. By receiving the Waiver, Eligible Members consent to the use of their personal information in accordance with the Promoter’s Privacy Policy at https://www.itsmyhealthinsurance.com.au/privacy . If personal information is not provided, participation in the Waiver may not be possible.

§Australian Unity Offer: “8 Weeks Free + No Waiver of Extra Waits” (5 Jan – 31 March 2026)

Offer

Get 8 (6+2) weeks free when you purchase hospital and extras cover. Not available for extras only. No extras waiver. Offer period

Start Date: 5 Jan 2026

End Date: 31 Mar 2026

Eligibility Criteria

Customers must:

Purchase Australian Unity mix’n’match or combined hospital and extras cover.

Via an aggregator or comparator call centres/websites.

Join between 5 Jan and 31 Mar 2026 where the policies purchased have a commencement date between 5 Jan and 31 Mar 2026

Are new members on new memberships who have not previously held Australian Unity health insurance within 90 days of joining.

Complete 60 days of continuous paid membership (within the first 60 days of membership) before being eligible for 8 weeks free.

Member must be financial and not in arrears or be suspended for a period during the first 60 days of membership to receive the 8 weeks free

For UCA sales, refer to T&Cs for extended date range, sale must be processed on or before 31 March 2026

Note: This offer is not available:

to members who have held health cover with Australian Unity in the 90 days prior to 5 Jan 2026. - to new members who purchase extras only, hospital-only cover or Overseas Visitors Cover.

to dependants who come off their parent’s policy and take out hospital and extras cover within 90 days will not be eligible for this offer. However, they will be eligible for a separate offer if they join within 30 days, refer to the details here.

to Australian Unity staff;

Fulfilment of Eight Weeks Free

Customers need to meet all eligibility criteria as outlined above

The offer will be fulfilled as 6 weeks applied in the first year of membership, and a final two weeks applied in the first month after their first anniversary

Customers need to complete 60 days of continuous paid Australian Unity membership before the initial six weeks offer will be applied to the new member’s policy. Customers need to complete 12 months of continuous paid Australian Unity membership before the final two weeks offer will be applied to their policy

The initial six weeks free offer is applied to each eligible policy by advancing the date it is paid up to, ie moving it forward six weeks. The subsequent and final two weeks free offer is applied to each eligible policy by advancing the date it is paid up to, ie moving it forward two weeks

The six weeks free offer will then be applied within 30 days of completing the 60 days of paid membership due to data and processing time. Note, it won’t be applied on the 61st day, it can take up to 90 days from joining date for the weeks free to be applied, provided the member has maintained payment during that time. Please ensure this is clearly communicated to customers. Similarly, the subsequent and final two weeks free offer will be applied within 30 days of completing 12 months of paid membership due to data and processing time.

Refer to terms and conditions for full information.

Terms and Conditions

(Available at www.australianunity.com.au/aggregator-terms-and-conditions)

Terms and Conditions: Get 8 (6+2) weeks free when you purchase hospital and extras cover (5 Jan – 31 March 2026)

This offer only applies: a. to people who purchase Australian Unity hospital and extras cover at the same time (i.e. either a combined product or a hospital product and an extras product); i. through an aggregator or comparator call centre/website; ii. between 5 Jan and 31 Mar 2026 where the policies purchased have a commencement date between 5 Jan and 31 Mar 2026; and iii. who are new members on new memberships (who have not previously held Australian Unity health insurance within 90 days of joining); or b. to members who purchase Australian Unity hospital & extras cover (either a combined product or a hospital product and an extras product) i. through iSelect’s or Health Insurance Comparison (HIC)’s or It’s My Health’s or HealthDeal’s referral program; ii. have a referral date (i.e. the date the sale was processed by iSelect/ HIC /It’s My Health/ HealthDeal) no later than 31 March 2026 and a start date no later than 17 April 2026; and iii. who are new members on new memberships (who have not previously held Australian Unity health insurance within 90 days of joining).

After complying with paragraph 1 above, and subject to paragraph 3 and 4 below, the policy holder may receive 8 (6+2) weeks free on their eligible cover. Limit of one 8 (6+2) weeks free offer per membership. 3. This promotion is not available: a. to members who purchase through either: the Australian Unity call centre; the Australian Unity website; Australian Unity Partnerships (phone and online portals); b. to members who take out hospital only cover, extras only cover, or Overseas Visitors Cover; c. To members who purchase via an aggregator or comparator (call centre/website) and then switch to an Australian Unity corporate partnership discount d. to Australian Unity staff; e. to dependants who come off their parent’s policy and take out hospital & extras cover or a combination cover within 90 days. However, they may be eligible for a separate offer if they join within 30 days, refer to the details here

The 8 weeks free will be applied over 13 months: a. 6 weeks free will be applied to the membership after the policy holder has held cover for a minimum period of 60 continuous days and the policy is paid up to date: i. The 6 weeks free will not be applied on any policies that at any time during the first 60 days of membership have been or are: in arrears; or suspended. ii. The 6 weeks free offer is applied to your policy by advancing the date you are paid up to, i.e. moving it forward 6 weeks. The 6 weeks free will be applied to policies within 30 days after completing 60 continuous days of paid membership. iii. The offer will be forfeited if member has changed cover within the first 60 days to hospital only cover, extras only cover or Overseas Visitors Cover. iv. The offer will be forfeited if member has changed to a product that has a corporate partnership discount in first 60 days of membership. b. Additional 2 weeks free will be applied to the membership if, at 365 days, the policy remains as hospital and extras cover and the policy is paid up to date i. The 2 weeks free offer is applied to your policy by advancing the date you are paid up to; i.e. moving it forward 2 weeks. The 2 weeks free will be applied to policies within 30 days after completing 365 days of paid membership. ii. The offer will be forfeited if member is no longer an active policyholder on the fulfilment date. iii. The offer will be forfeited if member has changed cover within the first 365 days to hospital only cover, extras only cover or Overseas Visitors Cover. iv. The offer will be forfeited if member has changed to a corporate partnership discount between day 61 – day 395 of membership.

This offer is not available in conjunction with any other retail offer or promotion, except where those retail offers or promotions are clearly expressed or communicated by Australian Unity to constitute or form part of a single offer.

This offer can be withdrawn at any time by Australian Unity. Australian Unity reserves the right to change these offer conditions at any time by publishing updated terms and conditions on its website australianunity.com.au/aggregator-terms-and-conditions, and to apply the updated offer conditions to any policies purchased after the time when the conditions were updated.

Australian Unity may request further information from any purchaser at its discretion, acting reasonably, in order to determine whether the purchaser is eligible for this promotion.

^HIF Offer: "6 Weeks Free + No 2-Month Waits on Extras" (1 Feb – 30 April 2026)

Terms and Conditions for the “6 Weeks’ Free Cover + No 2-Month Waits on Extras (6W2M)” Promotion (Offer)

The promoter is Health Insurance Fund of Australia Limited ACN 128 302 161 of 100 Stirling Street, Perth, Western Australia 6000 (HIF).

Eligibility

This offer starts on Saturday 1 November 2025 at 12:01am and closes on Sunday 30 November 2025 at 11.59pm (WST) (Offer Period).

The policy start date must start no later than the Offer Period.

This offer is only available to a person who purchases an Eligible Product and opts to pay by Direct Debit for fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, or six-monthly (Eligible Member).

This offer is available during the Offer Period to Eligible Members who purchase an Eligible Product from a broker.

This offer is only available for the following Combined and Packaged Hospital and Extras covers: i. Hospital: Basic Plus, Bronze, Bronze Plus, Silver or Silver Plus; and ii. Extras: Basic, Value, Simple, Essential, Advanced, Top; or iii. Packaged: Basic Starter, Bronze Plus Simple Choice (Eligible Product).

This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount from HIF, except where those offers or discounts explicitly state.

Offer

This offer is for 6 weeks’ free cover on an Eligible Product plus a waiver of the 2-month waiting periods on Extras cover.

The 6 weeks’ free cover offer will be applied after 90 consecutive days from the policy start date by advancing the date the policy is paid to by 6 weeks. That is, after 90 consecutive days of cover, the next 6 weeks of cover are treated as paid.

During the 6 weeks’ free cover period, the Direct Debit will be suspended and will resume at the end of the 6 weeks’ free cover period.

At the end of the 6 weeks’ free cover period, the offer is redeemed and HIF is under no further obligation in respect of the offer.

Eligible Members must maintain their Eligible Product (and be financial) for 90 consecutive days from the policy start date on Direct Debit to be eligible to receive the 6 weeks’ free cover. Please allow up to 14 days from that date for the offer to be applied.

This offer is not redeemable for cash, transferrable or exchangeable. No part of the premium which would have otherwise been payable in the 6 week free cover period will be refunded in the event of termination or cancellation of the policy.

Eligible Members who purchase an Eligible Product and qualify for this offer, but later downgrade to Hospital only within 90 days of joining will not have the 6 weeks’ free cover applied to their policy.

Eligible Members who purchase an Eligible Product and qualify for this offer, but downgrade to Extras only within 60 days of joining will have the 2-month Extras waiting periods re-applied to their policy.

To the extent permissible by law, HIF may amend, cancel or suspend all or part of this offer.

Privacy

HIF’s Privacy Policy outlines how personal information is handled and the steps we take to ensure your privacy, which is available on our website at www.hif.com.au/privacy

\Frank Health Offer: "2 & 6 Month Waiver on Extras" (1 Oct 2025 – 31 Aug 2026)

The offer only applies to hospital and extras (combined), not extras-only nor hospital-only policies.

Members who have been with a Frank or GMHBA member in the last 12 months will not be eligible for the offer.

Members must pay on direct debit.

Must pay first month to start claiming.

12 month waits, annual and sub limits apply. Extras claims made with a previous fund count towards your annual limits.

Start Date MUST be within the Offer Period.

`See-U by HBF Offer: "4 Weeks Free + 2 & 6 Month Waiver on Extras" (2 Feb – 31 March 2026)

Terms and Conditions | 4 Weeks Free + 2 & 6 Month Waits Waived 2 February 2026 – 31 March 2026

Eligibility

This offer is available to new see-u by HBF policyholders who purchase an eligible combined Hospital and Extras cover via eligible and approved distributors, complete the purchase in a single transaction between 9:00am (AEST) on 2 February 2026 and 11:59pm (AEST) on 31 March 2026, and maintain continuous, paid cover for the required period(s) to receive the free weeks.

This offer is not available to employees of see-u, QCHF, HBF, or related entities; current or former members who have received a promotional joining offer for a see-u by HBF branded policy in the last 18 months; existing see-u members making changes to their current policy (including upgrades, downgrades, or adding dependants); policies purchased as Hospital-only or Extras-only cover; policies combined with products outside the eligible list; or members redeeming another see-u promotion, incentive, or weeks-free offer at the same time.

Eligible Products

The following combined Hospital and Extras products are eligible under this offer: Starter Hospital $750 Excess with Daily Co-Pay plus Eligible Extras; Starter Hospital $750 Excess (Basic) plus Eligible Extras; Saver Hospital $750 Excess (Bronze Plus) plus Eligible Extras; Saver Hospital $750 Excess with Daily Co-Pay plus Eligible Extras; Smart Hospital $750 Excess (Bronze Plus) plus Eligible Extras; and Secure Hospital $750 Excess (Silver) plus Eligible Extras.

Fulfilment of 4 Weeks Free

Four weeks’ free cover will be applied after eight weeks of continuous eligible cover, provided full payment has been received and the policy is set to direct debit. If a member’s last full payment aligns with their free-cover eligibility date, the free cover will begin from the next scheduled payment date. During the free-cover period, direct debits will be paused automatically and regular payments will resume immediately after the free weeks end.

Fulfilment of 2- & 6-Month Extras Waiting Period Waiver

The waiver applies to the Extras portion of the policy only. Hospital waiting periods and any Extras waiting periods longer than six months continue to apply. If you join within two months of leaving another Australian health insurer, waiting periods already served on a comparable or lower level of cover will generally be recognised. Members must be financial and have paid four weeks of premiums before any claims can be approved. Eligible claims for services received from the join date will be payable once this requirement is met.

General Conditions

Free weeks are not redeemable for cash or any other benefit. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other see-u promotion, incentive, or weeks-free offer. see-u by HBF reserves the right to vary, withdraw, or amend this offer and its qualifying criteria at any time without notice.

HBF Health Limited ABN 11 126 884 786 trading as see-u by HBF Phone: 1300 499 260 Email: info@seeuhealthinsurance.com.au

Health Insurance With No Waiting Period

Featured offers

Can you get health insurance with no waiting period?

Hospital cover (generally, NO)

Extras cover (YES, in some cases)

What are health insurance waiting periods?

Why do waiting periods apply?

No waiting period health insurance on extras cover

How to get health insurance with no waiting period

Switch to the same level cover or lower

Mental health exemption

Extras cover with waiting periods waived

Waiting periods on hospital cover

Pregnancy and birth (12 months)

Pre-existing conditions (12 months)

Psychiatric care, rehabilitation and palliative care (2 months)

In-hospital treatment (2 months)

Waiting periods on extras cover

FAQs about health insurance waiting periods

What is a pre-existing condition and does it affect waiting periods?

Do I need to re-serve waiting periods if I switch providers?

Do any health funds waive waiting periods?

Is there any health insurance with no pregnancy waiting period?

Can I get dental insurance with no waiting period?

Can I get optical insurance with no waiting period?

What happens if I pause my health cover?

Can I use private health insurance straight away?

Do Bupa and Medibank waive waiting periods?

Can I still use my health insurance if I haven’t served the waiting period?

Important information

General information only

How we provide personalised health insurance comparisons

Which brands do we compare?

Dispute Resolution and Complaints

Speak to a Health Expert

#ahm Offer: “6 Weeks Free” (1 Feb – 31 March 2026)

*Bupa Offer: “6 Weeks Free” (2 Feb – 31 March 2026)

†NIB Offer: “6 Weeks Free + No Waiver of Extra Waits” (1 – 28 Feb 2026)

§Australian Unity Offer: “8 Weeks Free + No Waiver of Extra Waits” (5 Jan – 31 March 2026)

^HIF Offer: "6 Weeks Free + No 2-Month Waits on Extras" (1 Feb – 30 April 2026)

\Frank Health Offer: "2 & 6 Month Waiver on Extras" (1 Oct 2025 – 31 Aug 2026)

`See-U by HBF Offer: "4 Weeks Free + 2 & 6 Month Waiver on Extras" (2 Feb – 31 March 2026)