When you begin searching for health insurance with moneytime, we ask you to define your status very early on, because health funds price the policies according to the status of your cover. This is particularly important to grasp if you want to cover your children under your health insurance policy. Here's a quick table covering each status group:
| Status | Number of people |
| Single | 1 adult (the policy holder) |
| Couple | 2 adults (the policy holder and their spouse or partner) |
| Family | 2 adults and any dependants |
| Single parent family | 1 adult and any dependants |
| Extended family | At least 3 adults and any dependants |
1. Dependant children under health insurance
Dependant children can be covered under a family policy or single parent family policy at no extra cost, provided the dependant fits the criteria set by the health fund. The Private Health Insurance Ombudsman defines a dependant child as:
'an unmarried person under the age of 18 years. A health insurer may consider a person between the ages of 18-25 a dependant child, but will usually require certain conditions to be met, for example, the person may have to be a full-time student. Conditions vary between health insurers.'
If you have any children aged up to the health fund's set threshold (usually between 18 and 21), they are classed as dependant children and no further action is required apart from listing them under your health cover.
2. Student dependants under health insurance
Student dependants are those children who are above the dependant children age, but are still studying full time. Student dependants can also be covered under the family policy without an extra charge, provided they meet the criteria set by the health fund, which generally include:
If your student dependant requires health cover under your family status, then you will be required to provide information including the name of the institution they are studying at, their student identification number and the length of their course.
We've compiled information on our participating health funds so you can see at a glance which health insurer offers cover that suits your family.
| Health fund | Dependant children criteria |
Student dependants criteria |
| ahm | Dependants must be under 21 years who live at home | Student dependants must be single, studying full-time and aged under 25 years |
| Australian Unity | Dependants must be under 23 years | Student dependants must be single, full-time students, trainees or apprentices aged between 23-25 years |
| GMHBA | Dependants must be under 21 years | Student dependants must be single, full-time students, trainees or apprentices aged under 25 years |
| HBA | Dependants must be under 21 years | Student dependants must be single, full-time students, trainees or apprentices aged between 21-25 years |
| HCF | Dependants must be under 22 years | Student dependants must be single, full-time students, trainees or apprentices aged under 25 years |
| MBF | Dependants must be under 21 years | Student dependants must be single, full-time students, trainees or apprentices aged under 24 years |
| Mutual Community | Dependants must be under 21 years | Student dependants must be single, full-time students, trainees or apprentices aged between 21-25 years |
| nib | Dependants must be under 21 years | Student dependants must be single, full-time students, trainees or apprentices aged under 25 years |
Extended family cover
If your single child is above the threshold age for a dependant child and not eligible for cover as a student dependant, you may continue to cover them under your family health insurance policy by choosing Extended Family Cover in your status box. Be aware that health funds impose higher premiums for Extended Family Cover.
Helping your kids get covered independently
If your child's age exceeds the limits defined above, then it's time to help them choose a health insurance policy that suits their individual needs. There are many budget policies that suit young people, offering cover for health insurance features they are likely to need, while excluding features they are less likely to use (like obstetrics and joint replacements) to lower the cost. Help them compare health insurance policies that suit them with moneytime, so all the members of your family get the cover they need..
* Please note that the conditions for dependant children may vary between health funds, so read product brochures carefully and ask questions before purchasing your health insurance policy.
