There are many benefits to having private health insurance. While Medicare doesn’t cover the cost of everything you might need to maintain good health, private health insurance helps cover some of the out-of-pocket expenses for a range of health services and hospital expenses. Depending on your income, having a level of Hospital cover may also have tax-related benefits. If your income is over $97,000 for singles ($194,000 for couples/families) and you take out and maintain private hospital cover for the full financial year, you could avoid paying an extra 1% to 1.5% in tax via the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS). Visit the Australian Tax Office website for specific rules for calculating income for MLS purposes.