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Is a Silver Plus policy better than Silver? 

By Trudie McConnochie

If Gold Hospital Cover is out of your budget but a Silver policy doesn’t cover as many health services and treatments as you need, a Silver Plus Hospital Cover policy might be the best form of health insurance for you. Silver Plus policies can be cheaper than Gold, and they often cover Joint Replacements – and with hip and knee replacements being among the most common elective surgeries in Australia, that’s a big plus (pun intended).  

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Out of 38 hospital services (known as clinical categories), a Silver policy will cover you for 29, while a Silver Plus policy will cover anywhere from 29 upwards (but not as many as Gold, which covers all 38). The amount of cover is up to the insurer – and there’s a lot of variation in the market.  

Here’s one example of a Silver policy compared to a Silver Plus policy: 

Silver clinical categories Silver Plus clinical categories 
1. Back, neck and spine
2. Blood 
3. Bone, joint and muscle 
4. Brain and nervous system 
5. Breast surgery 
6. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy for cancer 
7. Dental surgery 
8. Diabetes management (excluding insulin pumps) 
9. Digestive system 
10. Ear, nose and throat 
11. Eye (not cataracts) 
12. Gastrointestinal endoscopy 
13. Gynaecology 
14. Heart and vascular system 
15. Hernia and appendix 
16. Hospital psychiatric services (R) 
17. Implantation of hearing devices 
18. Joint reconstructions 
19. Kidney and bladder 
20. Lung and chest 
21. Male reproductive system 
22. Miscarriage and termination of prgnancy 
23. Pain management 
24. Palliative care (R) 
25. Plastic and reconstructive surgery (medically necessary) 
26. Podiatric surgery (provided by a registered podiatric surgeon) 
27. Rehabilitation (R) 
28. Skin 
29. Tonsils, adenoids and grommets 
All the treatments and services covered by Silver, as well as: 
30. Cataracts 
31. Dialysis for chronic kidney failure 
32. Insulin pumps 
33, Joint replacements 
34. Pain management with device 
35. Sleep studies 
(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. 

Make sure you check how much is covered, and consider waiting periods, the excess and other policy conditions before you buy.  

The cost of Silver Plus Hospital Cover varies depending on the insurer and the number of Clinical Categories it covers. Using the healthslips.com.au Calculator we compared Silver Hospital Cover for one adult in Victoria with a $750 excess. Here’s what we found…  

Silver Silver Plus 
Cheapest  
per month 
Most expensive  
per month 
Cheapest  
per month 
Most expensive  
per month 
$166.95$199.20$168.15 $378.39

If you’re considering a Silver Plus policy that’s at the higher end of that scale, it’s worth getting a quote for Gold as well – sometimes Silver Plus policies can actually be more expensive than Gold cover, so it pays to shop around.   

The easiest way to find the best Silver Plus Policy for you at the best price is to search every policy in the market – and the healthslips.com.au Calculator is the fastest way to do it. We compare every policy in Australia for free, and we don’t ask for your contact details, nor do we try and sell you insurance. Not only can you compare up to 10 policies, you can compare across different tiers, which means comparing Basic, Bronze and Silver policies (and Plus policies) all at the same time. We’re completely unbiased and we show you all your options to make sure you don’t miss anything. Try the healthslips.com.au Calculator now to search for the Silver Plus policy that’s right for your budget and healthcare needs.  

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.

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