Best Health Insurance For Knee Replacement

Compare quotes for health insurance that include cover for knee replacement with Savvy. 

Written by 
Savvy Editorial Team
Savvy's content writing team are professionals with a wide and diverse range of industry experience and topic knowledge. We write across a broad spectrum of finance-related topics to provide our readers with informative resources to help them learn more about a certain area or enable them to decide on which product is best for their needs with careful comparison. Meet the team behind the operation here. Visit our authors page to meet Savvy's expert writing team, committed to delivering informative and engaging content to help you make informed financial decisions.
Our authors
, updated on July 6th, 2023       

Fact checked

At Savvy, we are committed to providing accurate information. Our content undergoes a rigorous process of fact-checking before it is published. Learn more about our editorial policy.

Health Insurance Banner - Elderly woman in a wheelchair in hospital garments grabbing her knee

We’ve partnered with Compare Club to bring you a range of health insurance policies to help you compare them side by side.

If you’re tired of putting up with constant knee pain, you may be considering surgery to fix your injury permanently. Knee replacement surgery is a procedure which can return quality of life to someone suffering from ongoing discomfort. However, the best surgeries in this area are expensive and public health waiting lists can be very long. As such, you can opt to use private health insurance to fund your knee replacement.  

You can compare private health insurance policies that include cover for joint replacement through Savvy. You can get instant quotes for health insurance to compare from a panel including some of Australia’s leading insurers, so get started with us today.  

What type of health insurance offers the best cover for knee replacement surgery?

Medicare can cover all of the costs of a knee or joint replacement. However, a report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare indicated that in 2021/2022, almost 30% of public patients waited more than 365 days for their knee replacement surgery, with the average wait time being over 200 days. Because of these long waiting times, many people turn to private health insurance to assist with the cost of getting their knee replacement surgery carried out in a private hospital. 

Gold hospital cover is the only tier of private health insurance which must provide cover for joint replacements under Australian health insurance legislation. However, some funds may offer this type of cover with silver plus policies too. For this reason, it’s well worth comparing health cover policies through Savvy to help find an affordable offer which may provide you with the coverage you need for your joint replacement surgery. 

How do I compare the best health insurance policies with knee replacement?

These are some of the aspects to compare when looking at different health insurance policies which provide cover for knee replacement, including:  

  • Cost – comparing a range of offers will help you determine which is the most affordable while affording suitable cover for knee replacement 
  • Excess and co-payments – how much will you have to pay as an excess if you do make a claim on your policy? 
  • Inclusions and exclusions – check the documentation that comes with your policy so you know exactly what is and isn’t included 
  • Waiting periods – make sure you’re aware of the waiting periods that apply before buying a policy 
  • Special offers – some funds offer ambulance cover as a standard addition with gold hospital cover policies, but other special offers are sometimes available too, so it’s worth checking these out when comparing policies.

Types of health insurance

Why compare health insurance through Savvy?

Frequently asked questions about health insurance for knee replacements

How much does it cost to get a knee replacement in Australia?

The cost of a knee replacement can be in the region of $15,000 to $20,000 (correct as of March 2023). However, a large portion of this cost may be covered by Medicare as long as your treatment falls within Medicare guidelines.  Additionally, if you have gold hospital cover, your out-of-pocket expenses may be no more than a few hundred dollars, depending on how much your surgeon charges to carry out the surgery.  

How much quicker can I get my knee replacement done if I have private health insurance?

Under Medicare guidelines, this will depend on the urgency that your doctor places on your need for a knee replacement and the private hospital facilities and expertise available in your local area. In our large capital cities, there tend to be more specialist orthopaedic surgeons and private hospital beds available than there are in more remote or regional areas of Australia. However, your wait may be a matter of weeks, rather than the months it may take if you join a public hospital waiting list.  

Will private health insurance cover all the expenses for my knee replacement?

No – you may still have some out-of-pocket expenses, such as paying the excess on your hospital cover policy and possibly a co-payment for each night you spend in hospital. However, these may not always be charged by health insurers. There may also be additional gap payments charged by your surgeon which may not be covered by your private health insurance. 

What is the average waiting time to be able to claim for a knee replacement?

Under Australian Government legislation, the minimum time you’ll have to wait before being able to claim on your hospital cover for the costs of joint replacement is two months. However, if your knee injury is considered a pre-existing condition when you join your health fund, you may have to wait a year before being able to claim.

Helpful health insurance guides

Health Insurance Banner - Expat talking on the phone while at an airport terminal

Expat Health Insurance

Compare quotes for expatriate health insurance through Savvy today. Compare quotes now Instant quotes in 2 minutes. Moving to a...

Health Insurance Banner - A smiling woman sitting in a cafe on her laptop

Private Health Insurance Tax

Learn all about private health insurance tax implications with Savvy in our informative guide.  Numerous policies from the Australian government...

Health Insurance Banner - Man with glasses looking at his laptop and choosing a health insurance policy

Choosing Health Insurance

Learn some important tips for choosing your health insurance policy right here with Savvy. With more than 35 health insurance...

Health Insurance Banner - Couple sitting on the couch together looking at a laptop

Switching Health Insurance

Find out more about the process of switching your health insurance policy and how to compare them with Savvy. Health...

Looking for health insurance to cover your condition or treatment?

Read one of our helpful guides on a range of different ailments and potential hospital or extras treatments to help you find out if they're covered.

Disclaimer:

Savvy is partnered with Compare Club Australia Pty Ltd (AFS representative number 001279036) of Alternative Media Pty Ltd (AFS License number 486326) to provide readers with a variety of health insurance policies to compare. Savvy earns a commission from Compare Club each time a customer buys a health insurance policy via our website. We don’t arrange for products to be purchased from these brands directly, as all purchases are conducted via Compare Club.

Savvy’s comparison service is provided by Compare Club. Compare Club compares selected products from a panel of trusted insurers and does not compare all products in the market.

Any advice presented above or on other pages is general in nature and doesn’t consider your personal or business objectives, needs or finances. It’s always important to consider whether advice is suitable for you before purchasing an insurance policy.

For any further information on the variety of insurers compared by Compare Club or how their business works, you can read their Financial Services Guide.