Is a Bronze Plus policy better than Bronze?

By Trudie McConnochie Published 5 days ago

If you’re looking for Hospital Cover at the lower end of the scale that’s good value for money, Bronze Plus Hospital Cover is worth considering. Offering more coverage than a Bronze policy, but not as extensive as a Silver policy, Bronze Plus might be a happy medium that meets your healthcare needs without the higher premium of a Silver policy.

Household,Budget.,Smiling,Black,Couple,Discussing,Total,Amount,Of,Their — Image credit: Shutterstock

What’s the difference between Bronze and Bronze Plus Hospital Cover?

Bronze policies cover you for 21 out of 38 hospital services (known as clinical categories), while Silver policies cover 29. Depending on the insurer, a Bronze Plus policy will cover somewhere between 21 and 28 clinical categories.

Here’s an example of a Bronze Plus Hospital Cover policy from one insurer.

Bronze clinical categories

Bronze Plus clinical categories

1. Bone, joint and muscle
2. Brain and nervous system
3. Breast surgery
4. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy for cancer
5. Diabetes management (excl insulin pumps)
6. Digestive system
7. Ear, nose and throat
8. Eye (not cataracts)
9. Gastrointestinal endoscopy
10. Gynaecology
11. Hernia and appendix
12. Hospital psychiatric services (R)
13. Joint reconstructions
14. Kidney and bladder
15. Male reproductive system
16. Miscarriage and termination of pregnancy
17. Pain management
18. Palliative care (R)
19. Rehabilitation (R)
20. Skin
21. Tonsils, adenoids and grommets

All the Bronze categories, plus:
22. Blood
23. Dental surgery
24. Podiatric surgery (provided by a registered podiatric surgeon)

(R) = Restricted means the insurer offers only ‘restricted’ cover for this treatment. You will be only partially covered for the costs of this treatment and may incur out-of-pocket costs you have to pay yourself.

Because insurers don’t have to provide a certain amount of categories for Plus policies, you’ll find Bronze Plus policies can vary a lot from one insurer to the next – which is why it’s important to look carefully at what’s on offer, and also check waiting periods, excess and policy conditions.

How much does Bronze Plus Hospital Cover cost?

The cost of a Bronze Plus policy depends on the insurer and how many clinical categories it covers.

Using the healthslips.com.au Calculator, here’s how Bronze policies compared to Bronze Plus for Hospital Cover for one adult in Queensland ($750 excess):

Bronze		Bronze Plus
Cheapest per month	Most expensive per month	Cheapest per month	Most expensive per month
$124.23	$149.46	$128.62	$164.25

Bronze Plus Hospital Cover — Image credit: Shutterstock

How do I find the cheapest Bronze Plus policy?

Using the healthslips.com.au Calculator allows you to search every Bronze and Bronze Plus policy available and find the best one for your budget and health needs. You can even compare Bronze and Bronze Plus policies against Basic or Silver policies at the same time. And by using the ‘show differences’ button, it’s easy to see what treatments are included and excluded across policies, so you can quickly decide whether Bronze Plus is better value for you. Our Calculator compares every policy on the market for free, fast. You don’t have to enter any contact details, and because we’re not selling insurance, there’s no sales pressure. Try the healthslips.com.au Calculator now.

Trudie McConnochie

Writer and Researcher

Knowledge is power – that’s the guiding principle behind everything Trudie writes, and it’s a philosophy she brings to her work at healthslips.com.au. By breaking down complex information into easy-to-understand blogs and stories, she aims to empower Australians to make the best choices and an informed decision around private health insurance.

Trudie understands firsthand some of the complexity of private health insurance having moved to Australia from New Zealand and having to navigate a vastly different public healthcare system and health insurance structure.

Trudie holds a Bachelor of Communication Studies (journalism major) from the Auckland University of Technology.