Compare policies from a range of funds in minutes, not hours.

The best way to choose a private health insurance policy is to conduct a comprehensive analysis. By looking at what various health funds are offering, you can get a clear idea of what is on the market and find a policy that suits your needs.

For a quick and easy comparison, speak to a health insurance adviser over the phone to receive free quotes tailored to your preferences and budget. It may also be helpful to speak with family and friends who have been customers of various health funds in the past.

But before you get started, you should have a clear idea of what kind of policy you are looking for. Factors to consider include:

• Decide if you want Hospital cover, Extras cover or Ambulance cover, or a combination of these cover types
• How much you can afford and are willing to pay each month for your health insurance
• What sort of health care treatments and services you want cover for
• Who you want to cover. Are you interested in a single, family or couples policy
• What level of cover do you think you'll require (e.g. do you just want the basics covered, or are you after a comprehensive gold-tiered health insurance policy?)
• Any health concerns you want a policy to specifically cater to
• What is important to you in a health fund (e.g. is it reputation? Customer service? Percentage of claims paid out?)

From here, you can do the relevant research that allows you to ultimately choose the best private health insurance for you.

Each health fund will have various benefits and policy features that some individuals may prefer over others. It is difficult to define "the best health insurance policy" when each Australian has different needs and preferences when it comes to protecting themselves and their families from unexpected health care expenses.

Generally, the best health insurance policy for you will be the one that:

• Is comfortable within your budget
• Provides the type of cover you want
• Provides the level of cover you want
• Is set up with a company you trust
• Is transparent about its conditions
• Is customisable to your needs

Compare Club can help you compare health insurance policies from eight different health funds, including some of Australia's leading health insurers like Bupa, AHM and HCF.

It may be useful to investigate the Australian Medical Association's annual Health Insurance Report Card. It aims to shed light on how health insurance really works and provide consumers with clear, concise information regarding different health funds.

Keep in mind, however, that the results of each fund can change drastically year upon year. Before committing to a policy, you should always look at a wide range of factors, conduct a review with the help of our team of industry experts and read the policy documentation from the health fund you are interested in.

Once you know what you are looking for, undertaking a private health insurance comparison can help you identify how each fund competes in premiums, coverage conditions and other factors that are important to you.

The main difference is that Medicare only covers hospital treatment as a public patient in a public hospital and a set range of non-hospital services such as GP visits and eye check-ups.

Private health insurance offers benefits beyond the public health system. Ambulance journeys and some out-of-hospital costs such as dental check-ups and glasses are not covered by Medicare.

In addition, appropriate private health cover allows you to choose your own doctor, be treated as a private patient in a public hospital (with access to improved facilities like a private room, subject to availability), cover gap fees and bypass long public hospital elective surgery waiting lists by choosing to have your treatment in a private hospital.

There are multiple government incentives for people to buy private health insurance, such as avoiding the Medicare Levy surcharge.

How much you pay for private health insurance depends on what level of cover you want and which provider you choose. On average, health insurance policies cost between $2000 to $3000 per year depending on whether you have hospital cover, extras cover, or a mixture of hospital and extras cover (combined policy)