Gold hospital cover explained: what’s included and is it worth it?
In shortGold hospital cover is the highest level of private hospital cover in Australia, giving you and your family peace of mind. |
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What is gold hospital cover?
Gold hospital cover aims to give you complete peace of mind, no matter what life stage you're in.
Itcovers you for all 38 clinical categories, without Restrictions or Exclusions, making it the highest tier of hospital cover available in Australia.
We've explained below how clinical categories and hospital cover tiers work in Australia.
Hospital cover tiers and clinical categories explained
There are 4 tiers of private hospital cover in Australia;
- Gold
- Silver
- Bronze
- Basic
To be marked in one of the above tiers, the hospital cover mustans for you, read our guide. include the minimum clinical categories as outlined in the table below.
If a policy meets the minimum requirements of a tier, but also includes additional coverage, then it can be called a ‘Plus’ policy – for example, Bronze Plus or Silver Plus.
Click here to understand how hospital cover levels work in Australia, and click below to see what's in each hospital cover tier.
Clinical categoryBasic
Bronze
Silver
Gold (What Police Health's Gold Hospital cover includes*)
Rehabilitation
R
R
R
✓
Hospital psychiatric services
R
R
R
✓
Palliative care
R
R
R
✓
Brain and nervous system
O (R)
✓
✓
✓
Eye (not cataracts)
O (R)
✓
✓
✓
Ear, nose and throat
O (R)
✓
✓
✓
Tonsils, adenoids and grommets
O (R)
✓
✓
✓
Bone, joint and muscle
O (R)
✓
✓
✓
Joint reconstructions
O (R)
✓
✓
✓
Kidney and bladder
O (R)
✓
✓
✓
Male reproductive system
O (R)
✓
✓
✓
Digestive system
O (R)
✓
✓
✓
Hernia and appendix
O (R)
✓
✓
✓
Gastrointestinal endoscopy
O (R)
✓
✓
✓
Gynaecology
O (R)
✓
✓
✓
Miscarriage and termination of pregnancy
O (R)
✓
✓
✓
Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy for cancer
O (R)
✓
✓
✓
Pain management
O (R)
✓
✓
✓
Skin
O (R)
✓
✓
✓
Breast surgery (medically necessary)
O (R)
✓
✓
✓
Diabetes management (excluding insulin pumps)
O (R)
✓
✓
✓
Heart and vascular system
O (R)
O
✓
✓
Lung and chest
O (R)
O
✓
✓
Blood
O (R)
O
✓
✓
Back, neck and spine
O (R)
O
✓
✓
Plastic and reconstructive surgery (medically necessary)
O (R)
O
✓
✓
Dental surgery
O (R)
O
✓
✓
Podiatric surgery (provided by a registered podiatric surgeon)
O (R)
O
✓
✓
Implantation of hearing devices
O (R)
O
✓
✓
Cataracts
O (R)
O
O
✓
Joint replacements
O (R)
O
O
✓
Dialysis for chronic kidney failure
O (R)
O
O
✓
Pregnancy and birth
O (R)
O
O
✓
Assisted reproductive services
O (R)
O
O
✓
Weight loss surgery
O (R)
O
O
✓
Insulin pumps
O (R)
O
O
✓
Pain management with device
O (R)
O
O
✓
Sleep studies
O (R)
O
O
✓
✓ - Indicates the clinical category is a minimum requirement of the product tier.
(R) - Restricted cover permitted: insurers are allowed to offer cover for this clinical category on a restricted basis. A restricted benefit means you are partially covered for hospital costs as a private patient in a public hospital. You may incur significant expenses in a private room or private hospital so you should check with your insurer and hospital for details.
O - Optional for the insurer to include: insurers may choose to offer these as additional clinical categories.
*All benefits may be subject to Waiting Periods, Limits and other conditions. Providers must be recognised by us. Review the cover tables on the Combined, Hospital and Extras pages, and your State Premium and Benefit Guide or contact us for more information.
Clinical category |
Basic | Bronze | Silver | Gold (What Police Health's Gold Hospital cover includes*) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rehabilitation | R | R | R | ✓ |
| Hospital psychiatric services | R | R | R | ✓ |
| Palliative care | R | R | R | ✓ |
| Brain and nervous system | O (R) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Eye (not cataracts) | O (R) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ear, nose and throat | O (R) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tonsils, adenoids and grommets | O (R) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bone, joint and muscle | O (R) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Joint reconstructions | O (R) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Kidney and bladder | O (R) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Male reproductive system | O (R) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Digestive system | O (R) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hernia and appendix | O (R) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Gastrointestinal endoscopy | O (R) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Gynaecology | O (R) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Miscarriage and termination of pregnancy | O (R) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy for cancer | O (R) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pain management | O (R) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Skin | O (R) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Breast surgery (medically necessary) | O (R) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Diabetes management (excluding insulin pumps) | O (R) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Heart and vascular system | O (R) | O | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lung and chest | O (R) | O | ✓ | ✓ |
| Blood | O (R) | O | ✓ | ✓ |
| Back, neck and spine | O (R) | O | ✓ | ✓ |
| Plastic and reconstructive surgery (medically necessary) | O (R) | O | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dental surgery | O (R) | O | ✓ | ✓ |
| Podiatric surgery (provided by a registered podiatric surgeon) | O (R) | O | ✓ | ✓ |
| Implantation of hearing devices | O (R) | O | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cataracts | O (R) | O | O | ✓ |
| Joint replacements | O (R) | O | O | ✓ |
| Dialysis for chronic kidney failure | O (R) | O | O | ✓ |
| Pregnancy and birth | O (R) | O | O | ✓ |
| Assisted reproductive services | O (R) | O | O | ✓ |
| Weight loss surgery | O (R) | O | O | ✓ |
| Insulin pumps | O (R) | O | O | ✓ |
| Pain management with device | O (R) | O | O | ✓ |
| Sleep studies | O (R) | O | O | ✓ |
✓ - Indicates the clinical category is a minimum requirement of the product tier.
(R) - Restricted cover permitted: insurers are allowed to offer cover for this clinical category on a restricted basis. A restricted benefit means you are partially covered for hospital costs as a private patient in a public hospital. You may incur significant expenses in a private room or private hospital so you should check with your insurer and hospital for details.
O - Optional for the insurer to include: insurers may choose to offer these as additional clinical categories.
*All benefits may be subject to Waiting Periods, Limits and other conditions. Providers must be recognised by us. Review the cover tables on the Combined, Hospital and Extras pages, and your State Premium and Benefit Guide or contact us for more information.
What does gold hospital cover include?
Gold hospital cover includes all clinical categories set by the Australian Government, including treatments often not covered in lower tiers.
This means you’re covered for a full range of hospital services (all 38 clinical categories), from common procedures through to more complex or high-cost treatments.
Learn more about what gold hospital cover includes
Services always included in gold hospital cover
One of the best parts of gold hospital cover is knowing that these common and in demand services are always included;
- Pregnancy and birth
- Joint replacements
- Cataracts
- Weight loss surgery
It's a reminder of one of gold hospital cover's biggest advantages – it coversyou and your family for a range of life stages.
Police Health's gold cover: better support when you need it
When you have Police Health Gold Hospital, you also have the added benefit of no excess and co-payments when you do go to hospital.*
While some funds don’t offer any lower than $750 Excess, we’re committed to help you better manage your costs when you need it most.
Does gold cover include everything?
Like all tiers of hospital cover, it's important to note that gold cover doesn't include “everything” as there are limitations to what private health insurance can include.
Some common examples include;
- Outpatient services (GP and specialist appointments)
- Cosmetic procedures
- Out of pocket gaps (doctor fees that Medicare and private health don't cover)
Is gold hospital cover more expensive?
Like all hospital cover, this depends on your own circumstances such as what state or territory you live in.
If you're thinking about gold hospital cover, call us for a personalised quote on 1800 603 603.
More services covered with fewer restrictions
Gold cover includes all clinical categories, so you’re less likely to run into limitations or out-of-pockets when you need treatment.
For example, if pregnancy cover matters to you, gold gives you the confidence of knowing it’s included as part of the top hospital tier, rather than needing to check whether it’s been added to a lower-tier silver plus product.
Higher cost treatments and surgeries are included
Gold cover includes more complex and expensive procedures, helping reduce unexpected out-of-pocket costs when it matters most.
For example, procedures like joint replacements or cataract surgery are included, which can be costly without the right level of cover.
Gold hospital cover FAQs
Do you need gold hospital cover for pregnancy?
While some silver plus levels of hospital cover may offer pregnancy and birth cover, they may come with restrictions on what's covered.
With Police Health's Gold Hospital cover*, you have the added benefit of
- No excess
- No exclusions
- No co-payments
This means fewer nasty surprises when you go to hospital to give birth.
Can I switch to gold?
You can switch to Police Health’s gold hospital, however eligibility rules apply. You won't need to re-serve waiting periods that you've already served with your old fund.
Are there waiting periods?
Yes, but how much you must serve depends on your own circumstances, including;
- Whether you've never had private health before
- If you're upgrading from a lower level of cover (Basic, Bronze, Silver)
*All benefits may be subject to Waiting Periods, Limits and other conditions. Providers must be recognised by us. Review the cover tables on the Combined, Hospital and Extras pages, and your State Premium and Benefit Guide or contact us for more information.