Medicare Levy Surcharge Calculator
Find out if you'll pay the Medicare levy surcharge in 2026–27 and how much private hospital cover would save.
About the Medicare Levy Surcharge Calculator
Choose single or family, enter your income for MLS purposes, the number of dependent children and whether you hold appropriate private hospital cover. The calculator gives the surcharge for 2026–27.
The Medicare levy surcharge (MLS) applies to Australians without appropriate private hospital cover whose income for MLS purposes is above the threshold: for 2026–27, $105,000 for singles and $210,000 for families (plus $1,500 for each dependent child after the first). It's 1%, 1.25% or 1.5% of income depending on the tier, on top of the 2% Medicare levy. Income for MLS purposes includes taxable income, reportable fringe benefits, net investment losses and reportable super contributions.
The formula
MLS = income for MLS purposes × tier rate
Worked example
A single person earning $115,000 without hospital cover
- Above the $105,000 threshold: tier 1
- 1% × 115,000 = $1,150
- A basic hospital policy cheaper than that would save money
Questions people ask
Does extras-only cover count?
No, you need hospital cover.
Part-year cover?
The surcharge applies to the days you didn't have cover.
Sources
The rules and rates this calculator uses come from the official pages below. Its results are estimates, not an official determination, and rules change, so check the latest figures there before you act on them.