Lifetime Health Cover Loading by Age
LHC loading rises 2% for every year you are aged over 30 when you first take out hospital cover, capped at 70% at age 65. Pick your join age below for the full worked example.
LHC loading at every join age (31–65)
| Join age | Years over 30 | LHC loading |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | 1 | 2% |
| 32 | 2 | 4% |
| 33 | 3 | 6% |
| 34 | 4 | 8% |
| 35 | 5 | 10% |
| 36 | 6 | 12% |
| 37 | 7 | 14% |
| 38 | 8 | 16% |
| 39 | 9 | 18% |
| 40 | 10 | 20% |
| 41 | 11 | 22% |
| 42 | 12 | 24% |
| 43 | 13 | 26% |
| 44 | 14 | 28% |
| 45 | 15 | 30% |
| 46 | 16 | 32% |
| 47 | 17 | 34% |
| 48 | 18 | 36% |
| 49 | 19 | 38% |
| 50 | 20 | 40% |
| 51 | 21 | 42% |
| 52 | 22 | 44% |
| 53 | 23 | 46% |
| 54 | 24 | 48% |
| 55 | 25 | 50% |
| 56 | 26 | 52% |
| 57 | 27 | 54% |
| 58 | 28 | 56% |
| 59 | 29 | 58% |
| 60 | 30 | 60% |
| 61 | 31 | 62% |
| 62 | 32 | 64% |
| 63 | 33 | 66% |
| 64 | 34 | 68% |
| 65 | 35 | 70% |
Click an age to see the premium impact table, the removal rule and a preset link into the rebate calculator.
Go deeper at your join age
Age 31
2%
Age 32
4%
Age 33
6%
Age 34
8%
Age 35
10%
Age 36
12%
Age 37
14%
Age 38
16%
Age 39
18%
Age 40
20%
Age 41
22%
Age 42
24%
Age 43
26%
Age 44
28%
Age 45
30%
Age 46
32%
Age 47
34%
Age 48
36%
Age 49
38%
Age 50
40%
Age 51
42%
Age 52
44%
Age 53
46%
Age 54
48%
Age 55
50%
Age 56
52%
Age 57
54%
Age 58
56%
Age 59
58%
Age 60
60%
Age 61
62%
Age 62
64%
Age 63
66%
Age 64
68%
Age 65
70%
Removing the loading
Hold 10 continuous years of hospital cover and any loading is removed, no matter how high it was. You get up to 1,094 lifetime "permitted days without cover" — about 3 years — for insurer switches or short breaks without the loading increasing or the 10-year clock resetting.
Related private health tools
LHC loading guide
Full rules: base day, special circumstances, new migrants.
PHI rebate calculator
Rebate tier by income, household and age band.
PHI rebate by income
Rebate tier and MLS interaction at common income levels.
Medicare Levy & MLS
The surcharge you would pay instead of holding cover.
Is private health worth it?
Combine MLS, rebate and LHC loading in one decision.
Frequently asked questions
How is Lifetime Health Cover loading calculated by age?
Why isn't the loading based on years since I turned 31?
How long do I pay the loading for?
Can I have any gaps in cover without the loading increasing?
Tax Accuracy & Sources
This page estimates LHC loading using the standard 2% per year over age 30 rule and a 10-year continuous cover period. It is a planning guide, not insurer-specific pricing advice.