Hip replacement surgery cost

A hip replacement is a medical procedure that involves surgically replacing damaged parts of your hip with a metal or plastic prosthesis. These replacement parts are designed to create an artificial new hip that mimics the functions of the original joint.

The main goal of hip replacement surgery is to increase your mobility and reduce hip pain. Beyond the physical pain, ongoing hip problems can take an emotional and mental toll and affect other aspects of your life, such as sleep.

Joint replacement surgery and hip replacements can provide you with a better quality of life by removing debilitating pain and improving overall mobility.

Hip replacement surgery usually takes 1 to 2 hours to complete, but it can take longer if there are complications. Recovery times vary from person to person, but you’ll probably need a hospital stay of 3 to 5 days, though some people get out sooner.

Once you’re out of hospital, it can take several months to fully recover from hip replacement surgery, depending on your age, pre-existing conditions, and general health. A hip replacement will generally last from 10 to 15+ years.

Partial hip replacement: A more minor procedure, partial hip replacement involves replacing just the ball on the thigh bone.

Total hip replacement: This involves replacing the entire joint, which is the hip’s socket and the ball on the end of the thigh bone that fits into the socket.

Bilateral hip replacement: This is when both entire hip joints are replaced simultaneously.

The key symptoms that could lead to a hip replacement are severe, constant pain and decreased mobility that interferes with daily activities. The most common conditions that lead to needing a hip replacement are:

• Arthritis, most commonly osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
• Osteonecrosis (when a lack of blood supply causes parts of the bone to die)
• Fractured or broken bones from a fall, bone disease, or other trauma.

Doctors may not recommend a hip replacement if the risks of surgery outweigh the potential benefits you’ll get from the operation.

Hip replacements can be an effective way to treat severe cases of hip pain and immobility. If you’re planning for the future with your level of health insurance cover, consider whether you might need a hip replacement as you get older. Factors like a family history of bad hips or joints, a previous injury to your hip, having a physically demanding job, or playing sports at a high level could all potentially mean you may need hip surgery later in life.

During initial consultations, your doctor is unlikely to suggest hip replacement surgery without trying a few non-surgical treatments to help with your pain and stiffness first. Some of the most common approaches to addressing hip issues include:

• Weight loss to reduce pressure on your hips if you’re overweight
• Using walking aids such as a cane or walker
• Pain relief medications like pills, gels, or creams
• Low-intensity exercises like swimming, cycling, or walking
• See a physiotherapist to receive physical therapy
• Special footwear or insoles that can provide added support
• Steroid injections (also called hydrocortisone injections).

Once you’ve tried one or more of these treatments and found they haven’t helped, your doctor may begin talking to you about hip replacement surgery.

According to the Medical Costs Finder website, patients in Australia with private health insurance who had their hip replacement performed in a private setting had an average out-of-pocket expense of $1,000.¹ Specialist fees typically come in at $5,200, with $1,900 of this cost covered by Medicare and $1,800 paid by a private insurer. ¹ This price covers specialist fees, assistant surgeon fees and anaesthetist fees.

Other hospital fees, including accommodation, theatre, and medical fees, typically come in at around $19,000.¹ A private health fund will generally cover all or most of these costs. However, depending on your level of insurance, you may need to pay an excess and/or co-payment.

For a bilateral hip replacement, patients with private health insurance who had the procedure performed in a private hospital had an average out-of-pocket cost of $4,800, with specialist fees typically being $9,500.² Medicare pays $3,100, and health insurance pays $2,200 on average. Hospital fees typically cost around $33,000.² Private health insurance companies will likely pay most or all of the hospital fees, though you may have to pay an excess.

Gold tier level of hospital health insurance is required to include cover for a joint replacement. If you have a standard Basic, Bronze or Silver cover, the clinical category for joint replacements will not be included. Health insurance providers can, however, include joint replacement as an additional category on ‘Plus’ policies.
Depending on your health fund, you may be able to get hip replacement surgery coverage through a Silver Plus policy. Remember, a Silver Plus policy will typically cost more than a regular Silver policy. Different health funds have different policies, so it’s worth researching and comparing a variety of options.

For Australians without eligible hospital cover, Medicare covers the entire cost of a hip replacement through the public hospital system.

A hip replacement is usually considered elective surgery. This doesn’t mean it isn’t necessary; it means the procedure can be planned and booked in advance. The downside of using a public hospital is there may be a waiting time before your surgery. The average waiting time between 2022 and 2023 for a total hip replacement was 175 days.³

Private health insurance will allow you to avoid public hospital waiting lists, significantly increasing your chances of getting surgery sooner. You’ll also have the opportunity to choose your available orthopaedic surgeon and, depending on availability, get your own private hospital room.