Overview

ahm health insurance was founded in Wollongong over 40 years ago and provides health cover to more than 700,000 members. It also offers travel, life and pet insurance.

ahm is backed by Medibank, one of Australia’s largest for-profit health insurers.

The fund has nine hospital plans, with five policies for the budget-conscious, and seven extras plans.

Members also have access to savings on movies, glasses, fitness programs and more, as well as discounted home and car insurance through ahm partner, Real Insurance.

Key features

• Nine different hospital cover plans
• Member perks include savings at OPSM and Specsavers
• Owned and backed by Medibank

Hospital cover

Nobody chooses to go to hospital. But when you do, appropriate hospital cover will help you get the treatment you need, where and when you want it. It also helps to pay the bills, as fees for hospital rooms and specialists can add up.

Think about what services you’re likely to need, in line with your budget. If you earn over $90,000, you could avoid paying the Medicare Levy Surcharge.

ahm offers one of the largest range of hospital plans, with nine in total. There’s five budget level plans, three mid-level plans and one Gold plan.

Starter Basic

An entry level policy if you principally want cover for accidents. Most useful for anybody who simply wants to avoid the Medicare Levy Surcharge

Key inclusions:

• Ambulance cover
• Avoids the Medicare Levy Surcharge

Essentials Basic Plus

A basic hospital plan with a few common hospital procedures. Suitable for avoiding the Medicare Levy Surcharge and younger Australians on a tight budget.

Key inclusions:

• Hernia and appendix
• Dental surgery
• Tonsils, adenoids and grommets

Starter Bronze

ahm’s budget cover for accidents and a wider range of common hospital procedures. It’s ahm’s bestselling hospital cover for singles.

Key inclusions:

• Gynaecology
• Earn, nose and throat
• Digestive system

Lite Bronze Plus

A Bronze plan that’s the same as Starter Bronze but with some add-ons with a variety of common hospital procedures.

Key inclusions:

• Lung and chest
• Back, neck and spine
• Chemo, radiotherapy and immunology

Core Bronze Plus

The most comprehensive Bronze plan includes a range of common procedures, plus items such as plastic and reconstructive surgery and hearing aid implants.

Key inclusions:

• Plastic and reconstructive surgery
• Blood
• Implantation of hearing aids

Starter Silver

A medium level of cover with a range of procedures that are common to Australians of all ages and life stages. With heart and vascular system, this policy may suit older Australians on a budget.

Key inclusions:

• Heart and vascular system
• Diabetes Management (excluding insulin pumps)
• Podiatric surgery

Classic Silver Plus

An enhanced level of cover compared to Start Silver with a longer list of procedures. Includes hospital services for diabetes and people suffering from sleep disorders.

Key inclusions:

• Insulin pumps
• Pain management with device
• Sleep studies

Deluxe Silver Plus

A premium level of cover with a comprehensive range of procedures. Similar to ahm’s Gold cover but without pregnancy items, making it more suitable for older Australians.

Key inclusions:

• Cataracts
• Joint replacements
• Dialysis for chronic liver failure

Top Hospital Gold

ahm’s top level of cover. Includes pregnancy and birthing, as well assisted reproductive services making it suitable for Australians planning additions to their family.

Key inclusions:

• Pregnancy and birth
• Assisted reproductive services
• Weight loss surgery

Ambulance cover

Unlimited emergency ambulance cover is included on all extras policies after a one-day waiting period. Medically necessary ambulance cover is included on all hospital policies after a one-day waiting period

Extras cover

Extras
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Extras insurance helps cover the bills for routine treatments such as dental, optical, and chiro, with rebates of up to 100% on some policies. Simply work out what you need and what you’re prepared to pay.

ahm has seven extras plans to choose from, including four tiered Black plans that let you choose how much you want to pay – and claim back.

Waiting periods

To stop people signing up, claiming, then cancelling their health insurance, all insurers apply waiting periods. Many of ahm’s common extras, such as general dental, come with no waiting periods on higher tier packages.

Generally, the more expensive the treatment, the longer you’ll wait. But keep an eye out for special deals with waiting periods reduced or waived.

Member benefits

As well as its comprehensive range of hospital and extra covers, ahm offers members perks. This includes discounts for movies, fitness programs, savings at OPSM and Specsavers, tax returns and discounts on other ahm insurance products.

How to claim

Claim on the spot through the HICAPS payment system at your provider. You can also claim online, through the mobile app or by email.

Hospital agreements

ahm has agreements with most private hospitals and day clinics across Australia. When comparing policies, it’s worth checking if your local hospitals and clinics are covered. Our specialists at Health Insurance Comparison can do this for you.

If you want to check if ahm has agreements with hospitals and clinics near you, you can use their tool to search for a hospital or clinic near you.

Customer service

ahm and Medibank (combined) received 184 complaints from 1 January to 30 March 2020. That’s 21.6% of complaints vs 26.9% market share, indicating customer service is above average.

FAQs