Transplants, spinal fusions and hip replacements are some of the most expensive surgeries in Australia. That said, the amount you'll pay out-of-pocket can vary wildly.
Who is this cover for?
No contact details required
Compare 40+ funds
Same price as going direct
Back
Close
I'm Tim, your insurance expert.
Here to help you find the right cover for you!
Step 1/2 - About your cover
Which state do you live in?
QLD
NSW
ACT
VIC
TAS
SA
WA
NT
What's your age?
Depending on your age, you may be eligible for an
aged-based discount. This is used to estimate your
rebate.
Under 65
65 - 69
70 or older
What's your household's taxable income?
This is the combined income you and your spouse earn before tax. It's needed to calculate the correct Australian government rebate.
$93,000 and under
$93,001 to $108,000
$108,001 to $144,000
$144,001 and over
What kind of health insurance do you need?
Combined (Extras + Hospitals)
Extras
Hospital
What level of hospital coverage would you like?
You can change this at any time later.
Legend
Covered
Restricted cover, You may be partially covered for
this category.
Not covered. Optional for insurer to include.
*Prices updated November 2024, in line with Finder's database of health insurance policies. Prices reflect the cheapest available for a single individual with less than $97,000 income and living in Sydney with a $750 excess.
What extras cover do you need? (Optional)
Select as many as you want or move to the next step
Preventative & general dental
Major dental & implants
Optical
Physiotherapy
Podiatry
Non-PBS pharmaceuticals
Chiropractic
Emergency ambulance
Remedial massage
Create a Finder account to get an email copy of your results (optional)
Enter your email address
By entering your email address, you agree to create a Finder account subject to our Privacy & Cookies Policy and Terms of Service. We will send you an email to setup your password.
Why compare with us
You'll pay the same price as going direct - we don't
charge fees
We don't ask for your phone number to see prices
Hang tight - we're fetching policies just for you!
Surgeries can be roughly separated into 3 different categories:
Urgent or emergency surgeries
Elective and semi-elective surgeries
Cosmetic elective surgeries
In this article, we're only considering medically necessary elective or semi-elective surgeries. We only look at average prices calculated by several insurers in Australia: The overall cost of surgery can be far higher or lower, depending on how much a particular surgeon charges.
Australia's 10 most expensive surgeries
Transplants: $40,000-$150,000
No matter what organ you're considering, transplants are easily the most expensive surgery you can have. The amount of work involved transferring an organ from one body to another is immense, running close to $150,000 for a heart or liver. Even a single kidney will cost around $40,000 to install.
Surgery waiting list*: N/A
Coronary artery bypass graft: $44,000
This highly invasive surgery is used to improve blood flow to the heart. It involves grafting a healthy vein or artery to an existing blocked one, thus bypassing the blockage inside the vein or artery.
A common procedure for older individuals, hip replacement involves removing an existing hip, usually due to arthritis or similar, and replacing it with an artificial hip instead. It's intended to relieve pain and aid easy movement.
Surgery waiting list: 120 days
Colorectal surgery: $25,000
This involves the removal of part or all of your colon or rectum. This can be prompted by disease or damage to your colon or rectum from something like cancer or Crohn's disease.
The gallbladder is a non-vital organ located in your abdomen. It can sometimes grow painful gallstones or develop other problems, necessitating its removal – usually through a small keyhole incision in your torso.
Surgery waiting list: N/A
Pacemaker insertion: $16,000
The heart works by pumping blood through your body, timing its contractions so that oxygenated blood is pumped to your muscles and tissues and deoxygenated blood flows to your lungs. A pacemaker uses electrical impulses to regulate your heart's rhythm and make sure it's functioning properly with its contractions.
Surgery waiting list: N/A
Angioplasty and stent insertion: $16,000
Angioplasty and stent insertions serve a similar purpose: They increase blood flow through your veins and arteries. In angioplasty, a small balloon is inserted and inflated to open up blood vessels. A stent is a small tube that is inserted in the vein or artery to ensure that it stays open.
Surgery waiting list: N/A
Prostatectomy: $16,000
Prostatectomy is the removal of the prostate. Whether necessitated by prostatitis or prostate cancer, this procedure seeks to negate a prostate condition by removing the organ from the body.
Surgery waiting list: 44 days
*All figures are for the longest median waiting times, for elective surgeries, in public hospitals for 2019-20 – the most recently available figures.
How surgery costs work under Medicare
Medicare pays for certain treatments at a public hospital, including surgeries. Medically necessary elective, semi-elective and urgent/emergency surgeries you receive as a public patient in a public hospital are completely covered by the Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS).
Medicare will fully cover:
Operating theatre fees in public hospitals
Medically-necessary surgeries (for example, removing a tumor)
Necessary surgical consultations
However, if you are admitted as a private patient to a public hospital, Medicare will only partially cover your treatment. The rest must be paid by you or your private health insurance provider.
Finder survey: Do Australians of different ages think extras insurance is worth it?
Response
Somewhat
39.17%
Yes
34.49%
No
26.34%
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1006 Australians, December 2023
How does private health insurance pay for surgery?
Private health insurance, combined with Medicare, can pay up to 100% of the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) for the medical costs of your surgery in a hospital. But as a private patient, specialists can charge added fees and Medicare will only provide for between 75% and 85% of those extra costs.
Some insurers have a "medical gap scheme" that will help you to meet any additional costs. Private health insurance will typically cover some or all of this gap, depending on the procedure.
The cost of a particular surgery and what you actually end up paying out of pocket varies considerably depending on the circumstances.
The benefits of private health insurance
Despite the cost of premiums and potential out-of-pocket costs, there are a few advantages to getting surgery in the private system. These benefits include:
The choice of your own surgeon
Avoiding lengthy public surgery waiting lists
Flexibility on when you're admitted to the hospital
Access to a private room
Why compare health insurance with Finder?
We don't ask for your phone or email to see prices.
With 1 click, you can open your results to nearly every fund in Australia.
You pay the same price as going direct – we charge no fees.
Depending on your age, you may be eligible for an
aged-based discount. This is used to estimate your
rebate.
Under 65
65 - 69
70 or older
What's your household's taxable income?
This is the combined income you and your spouse earn before tax. It's needed to calculate the correct Australian government rebate.
$93,000 and under
$93,001 to $108,000
$108,001 to $144,000
$144,001 and over
What kind of health insurance do you need?
Combined (Extras + Hospitals)
Extras
Hospital
What level of hospital coverage would you like?
You can change this at any time later.
Legend
Covered
Restricted cover, You may be partially covered for
this category.
Not covered. Optional for insurer to include.
*Prices updated March 2024, in line with Finder's
database of health insurance policies. Prices are based
on a single individual with less than $93,000 income and
living in Sydney with a $750 excess.
What extras cover do you need? (Optional)
Select as many as you want or move to the next step
Preventative & general dental
Major dental & implants
Optical
Physiotherapy
Podiatry
Non-PBS pharmaceuticals
Chiropractic
Emergency ambulance
Remedial massage
Email me my results (optional)
To get a copy of your results for later, add your email below
You'll pay the same price as going direct - we don't
charge fees
We don't ask for your phone number to see prices
Hang tight - we're fetching policies just for you!
Comparing quotes from 40+ funds...
Frequently asked questions
Our research found that transplants are typically the most expensive surgery you can have. Costs can be as high as $150,000 for a heart or liver procedure.
Medicare will cover the cost of medically necessary surgeries for public patients in public hospitals. But Medicare only provides for between 75% and 85% of the costs of surgery charged to you as a private patient.
Health insurance policies won't cover any non-medically necessary procedures, such as cosmetic surgery.
As Finder's insurance group publisher, Alex Holderness aims to make confusing topics easy to understand. She's been published in Money Mag, Yahoo Finance, Hospital Health, and is a contributing author for Google's Startup Grind. She has a keen passion for running and is currently studying for her General Insurance certification. See full bio
James Martin was the insurance editor at Finder. He has written on a range of insurance and finance topics for over 7 years. James often shares his insurance expertise as a media spokesperson and has appeared on Prime 7 News, WIN News, Insurance News, 7NEWS and The Guardian. He holds a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification and a Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification, both of which meet the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio
James's expertise
James has written 212 Finder guides across topics including:
What is the LHC loading, the MLS and the Private Health Rebate? These terms could make the difference between whether or not you can afford your private health premiums in the future.
Get affordable cover for ambulance transport if you are not already covered under Medicare. Compare quotes from Australian funds to decide which level of protection is best for you.
Learn how to get cheap health insurance and what you can expect for your money.
How likely would you be to recommend Finder to a friend or colleague?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very UnlikelyExtremely Likely
Required
Thank you for your feedback.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
Important information about this website
Finder makes money from featured partners, but editorial opinions are our own.
Finder is one of Australia's leading comparison websites. We are committed to our readers and stand by our editorial principles
We try to take an open and transparent approach and provide a broad-based comparison service. However, you should be aware that while we are an independently owned service, our comparison service does not include all providers or all products available in the market.
Some product issuers may provide products or offer services through multiple brands, associated companies or different labeling arrangements. This can make it difficult for consumers to compare alternatives or identify the companies behind the products. However, we aim to provide information to enable consumers to understand these issues.
We make money by featuring products on our site. Compensation received from the providers featured on our site can influence which products we write about as well as where and how products appear on our page, but the order or placement of these products does not influence our assessment or opinions of them, nor is it an endorsement or recommendation for them.
Products marked as 'Top Pick', 'Promoted' or 'Advertisement' are prominently displayed either as a result of a commercial advertising arrangement or to highlight a particular product, provider or feature. Finder may receive remuneration from the Provider if you click on the related link, purchase or enquire about the product. Finder's decision to show a 'promoted' product is neither a recommendation that the product is appropriate for you nor an indication that the product is the best in its category. We encourage you to use the tools and information we provide to compare your options.
Where our site links to particular products or displays 'Go to site' buttons, we may receive a commission, referral fee or payment when you click on those buttons or apply for a product.
When products are grouped in a table or list, the order in which they are initially sorted may be influenced by a range of factors including price, fees and discounts; commercial partnerships; product features; and brand popularity. We provide tools so you can sort and filter these lists to highlight features that matter to you.
Please read our website terms of use and privacy policy for more information about our services and our approach to privacy.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
Depending on your age, you may be eligible for an
aged-based discount. This is used to estimate your
rebate.
Under 65
65 - 69
70 or older
What's your household's taxable income?
This is the combined income you and your spouse earn before tax. It's needed to calculate the correct Australian government rebate.
$93,000 and under
$93,001 to $108,000
$108,001 to $144,000
$144,001 and over
What kind of health insurance do you need?
Combined (Extras + Hospitals)
Extras
Hospital
What level of hospital coverage would you like?
You can change this at any time later.
Legend
Covered
Restricted cover, You may be partially covered for
this category.
Not covered. Optional for insurer to include.
*Prices updated March 2024, in line with Finder's
database of health insurance policies. Prices are based
on a single individual with less than $93,000 income and
living in Sydney with a $750 excess.
What extras cover do you need? (Optional)
Select as many as you want or move to the next step
Preventative & general dental
Major dental & implants
Optical
Physiotherapy
Podiatry
Non-PBS pharmaceuticals
Chiropractic
Emergency ambulance
Remedial massage
Email me my results (optional)
To get a copy of your results for later, add your email below
