If you claim major dental every year
Advanced Extras has a $700 major dental limit. Check the extras benefits for shared pools and claim conditions.
Real health insurance
Is it a good health insurer?
Real has 5 hospital and 4 extras policies in our comparison, from $101.99 a month for hospital cover (Single · NSW · $500 hospital excess, after rebate).
Issued by nib Health Funds Ltd. Hospital, extras or both.
Explore 5 hospital and 4 extras products, or find cover by treatment. Sources for Real
Reviewed, Edited and Designed by
Grace Connolly
Created with AI assistance
Page updated 26 October 2026 · Prices effective 9 September 2026
I need cover for…
Compare cover across all Australian health funds.
Real cover: the main choices.
See the benefit differences
Before you pay for Silver Plus
Silver Plus Hospital adds cataracts and other categories compared with Silver Hospital. What the hospital cover step costs depends on your household, state and excess.
Real policies and example prices.
The profile you choose updates the Real price tables, hospital shortlist and alternative-policy comparison below.
Single · NSW · $500 hospital excess · example premiums after rebate.
Monthly examples include the 24.118% government rebate, the maximum for adults under 65. Your rebate and final quote may differ.
Need a Real price for your circumstances? Compare Real with cover across all Australian health funds.
Compare my optionsHospital cover
5 product lines
Real sells Gold Hospital only with a Real extras policy.
$51.82 more per month for Silver Plus Hospital versus Silver Hospital after rebate for the selected example profile.
Cataracts is an additional inclusion, not the complete list of differences.
Extras cover
4 product lines
What does Real hospital insurance cover?
2 Real hospital policies fully cover cataracts
Single · NSW · $500 hospital excess. Only policies that fully include cataracts are shown. Gold Hospital is sold only with a Real extras policy, so its hospital price is not the whole cost. How we read hospital categories
Compare selected treatment categories across all 5 hospital policies
Selected Real treatment categories.
More premium does not mean more back on everything.
Real extras limits per 12 months unless the statement says otherwise
Single-policy examples. Each links to its policy statement.
Lifestyle Extras → Advanced Extras
Both single-policy examples have a $250 optical limit and a $400 physiotherapy limit. But Advanced Extras raises the major dental limit from $600 to $700.The reason to upgrade is the wider benefits you need, not an assumption that every cap rises.
Top Extras: higher benefit examples
The optical examples move from 60% on Starter Extras to 70%, with a $300 optical limit and $500 shared physio limit for the Single-policy example.Weigh those increases against the premium.
Why Real's shared limits and waiting periods matter
Every optical benefit shown has a standard waiting period of 6 months.
Real vs. HBF vs. Australian Unity
How Real compares with similar hospital policies.
These are selected Silver Plus examples from HBF and Australian Unity, not identical policies or a search for the cheapest cover across the market.
Comparing Real Silver Plus Hospital with HBF Silver Hospital Plus and Australian Unity Classic Hospital (Silver Plus). Single · NSW · $500 hospital excess · Silver Plus hospital cover
Real and selected alternatives: monthly prices and verified coverage differences.
What the differences mean for you
All 38 treatment categories have the same status for these policies. That does not mean the policies have identical terms or out-of-pocket costs.
These alternatives match Real Silver Plus Hospital on tier, cataracts and joint replacements. How we choose alternatives
Compare all 38 hospital treatment categories
Real and the alternatives: all 38 treatment categories, policy information as at 26 October 2026.
Compare Real with cover from every Australian health fund.
Real against the industry.
These figures describe nib Health Funds Ltd, which issues Real health cover, not Real customers alone.
nib members had no gap on 88.8% of in-hospital medical services in the 2024-25 financial year, against 87.1% across the industry. State of the Health Funds Report 2024-25 · accessed 26 October 2026
nib paid 58% of members' extras (general treatment) charges in the 2024-25 financial year, against 50.7% across the industry. State of the Health Funds Report 2024-25 · accessed 26 October 2026
nib increased premiums by an average of 5.47% in 2026, against 4.41% across the industry. Government premium-increase figures · accessed 23 October 2026
ProductReview
1.8 / 5
801 ProductReview reviews
Voluntary customer reviews · nib
Snapshot: 26 October 2026. This is nib's listing, not a Real-only rating or a representative survey.
Complaint share is close to market share, but investigated complaints are lower
Share of all complaints, 2024-259.6%
Market share, 30 June 20259.8%
0%12%
State of the Health Funds Report 2024-25 · checked 26 October 2026
nib's share of complaints the Ombudsman received in 2024-25 is close to its market share at 30 June 2025. Its share of complaints the Ombudsman investigated that year is 6.4%, below its market share.
Latest quarter, January to March 2026. The Ombudsman referred 70 complaints about nib Health Funds Ltd to it to resolve, 10.5% of those it referred about all insurers. It also investigated 1 complaint about nib Health Funds Ltd, 33.3% of those it investigated about all insurers. Ombudsman Quarterly Update · checked 26 October 2026
Check the practical details.
Check your provider
Confirm that Real recognises your provider. Ask for a treatment plan and item numbers so Real can estimate your benefits and out-of-pocket costs.
Make or track a claim
Use Real's health claims guidance and member login for receipts, claim tracking and remaining benefits.
Contact Real
For health insurance sales, call 1300 953 162.Contact details checked 23 October 2026.Official contact details and messaging options
Before you choose Real.
Who provides Real health insurance?
Real health insurance is issued by nib Health Funds Ltd. A Real policy is not necessarily identical to a policy sold under another nib brand, so compare the actual policy terms and price.
Source: Government insurer profile, checked 23 October 2026.
What is the cheapest Real hospital policy?
Basic Plus Hospital is the cheapest Real hospital policy for a single person in NSW with a $500 hospital excess, at $101.99 a month after the 24.118% government rebate for adults under 65 (prices effective 9 September 2026). This compares all 5 Real hospital policies, not the whole market. Check what it excludes before choosing on price.
Source: How we compare prices, checked 26 October 2026.
What changes if I move from Bronze Plus Hospital to Silver Hospital?
Real Silver Hospital adds cover for heart and vascular system, implantation of hearing devices and 3 more categories compared with Bronze Plus Hospital. For the Single / NSW / $500 excess example it costs $39.29 more a month, so check what each policy covers before you upgrade.
Source: Private Health Information Statements, checked 26 October 2026.
Sources for Real.
Policy information retrieved 26 October 2026. Prices effective 9 September 2026.
Private Health Information Statements · Real · checked 26 October 2026
State of the Health Funds Report 2024-25 · nib · checked 26 October 2026
Government insurer profile · nib · checked 23 October 2026
Government premium-increase figures · nib · checked 23 October 2026
Government rebate rates and eligibility · Australian Government · checked 26 October 2026
ProductReview listing · nib · checked 26 October 2026
Official contact details · Real · checked 23 October 2026
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