A Hospital excess is the amount of money you agree to pay if you are admitted to hospital as a private patient for treatment, similar to the excess you have on your car or home insurance.
An excess applies to your hospital accommodation and theatre costs. It does not apply to any doctors’ fees you may incur during your stay. The hospital may request payment of the excess amount either before you are admitted or at the time of admission.
Your excess is chosen when you determine your level of private health insurance cover and can range from $0 to $1000.
The good news is there is no excess on child dependants covered on your policy (with the exception of Gold Hospital 1000), meaning if your child goes to hospital for treatment, you do not have to pay this amount. An excess does not apply to General Treatment services like dental, optical or physiotherapy appointments.
For more information about what excess applies to your Hospital product, please refer to your policy document.