Get the cover in place before you need it — that's the whole trick
Pregnancy has a 12-month waiting period, newborns have an enrolment window, and family extras limits are shared. Get those three right and the rest of family health insurance is straightforward. We'll walk you through all of it in one call.
- 12-month pregnancy wait — plan before you start trying
- Newborn added within the fund's window, covered from birth
- One premium covers every dependent child
- Kids' dental and optical, with limits that actually get used
- No markup · 14 funds compared · PHII Code member
If a baby is on the horizon
Obstetrics carries a 12-month waiting period, and it starts when you take out or upgrade to a policy that includes pregnancy and birth — not when you conceive. That single fact drives every other decision at this stage.
- 01
Gold is the only guaranteed tier
Gold hospital is the only tier legally required to include pregnancy and birth. Some Silver Plus policies include it; most don't.
- 02
Put the cover in place early
Before you start trying, not after. Twelve months goes quickly in hindsight and slowly in the moment.
- 03
Check the hospital, not just the fund
Confirm the private hospital you'd want to birth in is in your fund's agreement network — this varies more than people expect.
- 04
Ask about the no-gap arrangement
Your obstetrician's no-gap status is the difference between a small excess and a four-figure out-of-pocket.
Already pregnant and uninsured?
What it typically costs
Family premiums don't change with the number of children, so the tier and the extras are what move the price.
- Gold hospital cover for a family. Includes pregnancy and birth. 12-month waiting period applies.
- Silver hospital cover with mid extras for a family.
Adding your newborn without a gap
Newborns aren't automatically covered
You need a family or single-parent policy, and you need to add the baby within your fund's enrolment window — commonly 30 to 60 days from birth. Do it inside that window and the baby is covered from the day they were born, with no waiting periods for illness or accident.
Upgrade before the birth
If you're on a couples policy, moving to family before the birth is the cleanest path. There's no per-child cost, so the change is a one-time step rather than something that keeps creeping up as your family grows.
Extras when there are small people in the house
This is the stage where extras earn their keep. Dental check-ups, fillings, glasses and the occasional round of physio are frequent and predictable, and family limits are pooled across everyone on the policy — so one child's orthodontic assessment doesn't wipe out the household's dental cover.
- Preventive dental is often covered at 100% with no annual limit at the mid and top extras tiers.
- Optical limits reset annually — worth timing new frames around the cycle.
- Some funds cover children's extras at no extra cost on a family policy. It's rarely advertised.
- Orthodontics has long waiting periods (often 12 months, sometimes more) and lifetime limits. If braces are likely in a few years, set it up now.
One call covers all three decisions
Tell us where you're up to and we'll map the waiting period, the newborn window and the extras limits against 14 funds — then tell you plainly which policy fits.
Three simple steps to better value health cover
No call-centre runaround, no pushy sales. Just clear comparisons and an expert by your side from start to switch.
- Step 1
Tell us a little about you
Two minutes. A few quick questions about who needs cover, what matters, and what you currently pay.
- Step 2
An experienced advisor compares 800 policies from 30 brands
We do the legwork — matching the right policy to your needs and budget, not the one paying the highest commission.
- Step 3
We walk you through and switch you over
Clear options, no jargon. If you decide to switch, we'll handle the paperwork — and stay on call afterwards.
Rated 4.8 stars from 250 real customer reviews
"Saved $612 a year and got better extras for our two kids. The whole switch took 15 minutes — and our advisor still answers when I call."
How we get paid — and why it doesn't change our advice
Comparify is a completely free service for you. Like other comparison services, we're paid a commission by the health fund if you take out a policy — but our advice isn't influenced by which fund pays more, and we never mark up your premium - we guarantee it. It's called the Comparify Price Promise. If you find the exact same policy elsewhere for less, we'll refund you 200% of the difference.
Growing families: the questions we hear most
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