Extras cover in Australia

What is extras health insurance?

Extras cover helps pay for medical care that's not covered by Medicare. These treatments are usually done out-of-hospital and include dental, physio, psychology, optical and chiropractic services. You must serve a waiting period before you can claim money back and there are annual cover limits (a cap on how much you can claim per year).

What's the best extras insurance in Australia?

The extras policies below won 2024 Finder Awards. They came out on top for value for money – meaning they give you more bang for your buck than the other 400+ policies we analysed from 46 health funds.

Great all-rounder: HBF - Flex 50

Flex 50

From

$9.14

/week

Extras only

From

$9.14

/week

Go to site

Read our HBF Health Insurance review

Our verdict

This won Finder's Medium Extras cover award in 2023 and 2024. Flex 50 gives you $800 to split how you like across 12 popular services, including dental. You could use all of that $800 combined annual limit on dental if you like, or you could split it up – it's totally up to you.

• Pros and cons

  • Finder 2024 health insurer of the year.
  • Not-for-proft. Profits go back to members, not shareholders.
  • 55.50% of extras treatments covered. One of the best out of 23 funds.

  • There are cheaper policies but you don't get as much.
  • Other insurers also offer flex options.

• Our methodology

  HBF Flex 50 was the winner of our Medium Extras category in the 2024 Finder Awards. It covered more treatments for less money than any other fund.

  Read more about our health insurance methodology.

Great for the basics: Westfund - Starter Extras

Starter Extras

From

$5.92

/week

Extras only

From

$5.92

/week

Read review

Read our Westfund Limited review

Our verdict

Consistently one of the cheapest dental insurance policies available. Westfund's Starter Extras option includes general dental cover and an optical benefit up to $180 per person. You can also choose how to spend $400 across a bunch of services including dental, optical, physio, chiro and more.

• Pros and cons

  • 2024 Finder Award winner in the Core Extras category.
  • Excellent complaints record.
  • Not-for-profit.

  • There are some cheaper options.
  • This is a basic plan. There are more comprehensive plans.

• Our methodology

  Westfund Starter was the winner of our Core Extras category in the 2024 Finder Awards. It covered more treatments for less money than any other fund.

  Read more about our health insurance methodology.

What services can extras coverage include?

Extras cover generally includes non-hospital services that aren't covered by Medicare, like dental and optical. The table below outlines some of the most common treatment categories.

How much does extras cover cost?

Everyone will pay a different amount for extras cover, because everyone's needs are different. Prices currently start from about $3 a week, but go up to well over $100 a week for the most comprehensive offerings.

We ask Australians how much they pay for extras cover every month, through Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker. In November 2024 the average price Australians paif for extras was $56 per month (about $14 a week).

Waiting periods for extras cover

Waiting periods for health insurance apply to both extras and hospital policies. You'll generally need to wait for a period of between 2 and 12 months before claiming a particular benefit. Some major treatments require waiting periods of up to 2 or more years but this is less common. A very small handful of insurers let you skip waiting periods.

• General dental - 2 months
• Optical (e.g. glasses or contact lenses) - 6 months
• Major dental (e.g. crowns, bridges) - 12 months
• Orthodontics - 1-3 years

"I've always taken out a policy that comes with no waiting periods. It means I can start claiming straight away. I once took out extras cover and was able toclaim $600 worth of benefits in a week."

Gary Ross Hunter

Editor, Insurance

How benefit limits work

Benefit limits for extras only health insurance are the maximum amounts you can claim for specific treatments each calendar year. Many funds also break these down into the following types:

• Combined limits. This is where several different services are included in one shared limit, such as physiotherapy, chiropractic and remedial massage all falling under an overall physical therapy benefit.
• Sub-limits. These apply to specific treatments under a certain service, such as $500 for dentures and $800 for crowns, even though they fall under a major dental benefit.
• Lifetime limits. Fairly rare and generally only applied to orthodontics, this means that your limit does not renew each year, and is carried over even if you switch to a higher level of cover or switch funds.

Set benefits vs percentage benefits

Health funds use two methods to cover extras services. Set benefits apply a fixed amount to each service, such as $500 for general dental, while percentage benefits do what the name suggests and calculates the benefit as a percentage that covers all services, such as 50% back. Some pros and cons of each method are outlined below:

• Average amount of costs covered

  Fund name (open membership funds)	ACT	NSW	VIC	QLD	SA	WA	TAS	NT	Australia
  AIA Health	50.3%	49.4%	51.4%	50.7%	51.5%	51.6%	51.1%	52.3%	50.5%
  Australian Unity	44.6%	47.3%	49.3%	49.3%	51.7%	49.0%	46.5%	46.4%	49.0%
  BUPA	46.6%	50.2%	48.8%	52.5%	55.4%	57.6%	50.9%	59.3%	51.8%
  CBHS Corporate	56.5%	51.3%	54.1%	51.7%	54.8%	55.6%	62.2%	N/A	52.1%
  CDH	42.9%	35.5%	36.2%	38.6%	35.7%	35.8%	39.6%	N/A	35.7%
  CUA Health	43.2%	50.8%	47.7%	47.7%	51.8%	47.0%	49.7%	46.9%	48.6%
  GMHBA	49.9%	51.0%	49.2%	52.2%	52.5%	49.3%	47.6%	51.1%	49.9%
  HBF	45.3%	49.8%	50.2%	49.1%	52.4%	56.3%	50.0%	49.9%	55.6%
  HCF	50.3%	49.3%	56.1%	56.9%	61.6%	60.7%	53.4%	54.6%	52.6%
  HCI	40.5%	52.1%	49.7%	47.0%	52.1%	50.5%	46.4%	40.5%	48.4%
  health.com.au	43.5%	45.2%	46.8%	46.4%	50.2%	47.5%	44.6%	41.2%	46.2%
  Health Partners	53.4%	54.1%	45.4%	42.4%	57.2%	42.7%	44.9%	49.6%	56.7%
  HIF	42.1%	46.2%	46.6%	47.4%	49.2%	48.0%	47.1%	44.6%	47.6%
  Latrobe	34.1%	43.1%	38.7%	42.7%	47.3%	45.0%	36.4%	41.4%	39.4%
  MDHF	44.5%	53.7%	53.0%	50.2%	49.5%	49.6%	51.7%	45.4%	52.8%
  Medibank (includes ahm)	49.0%	51.6%	53.8%	55.4%	58.3%	58.3%	54.7%	60.0%	54.3%
  nib	55.8%	55.9%	59.6%	56.5%	59.3%	62.1%	61.6%	58.7%	57.1%
  onemedifund	42.5%	51.6%	55.5%	51.2%	54.8%	56.9%	52.9%	N/A	53.3%
  Peoplecare	44.7%	47.9%	47.7%	46.2%	50.8%	46.6%	42.7%	46.1%	47.7%
  Phoenix	52.7%	53.9%	54.3%	55.7%	55.5%	53.5%	54.1%	55.6%	54.4%
  QCH	39.1%	48.4%	50.6%	51.9%	50.8%	46.5%	48.9%	49.4%	51.7%
  St Lukes	56.8%	60.7%	58.9%	59.3%	65.1%	60.5%	59.4%	59.1%	59.0%
  Transport Health	38.1%	47.3%	53.5%	48.5%	49.8%	47.9%	44.9%	49.5%	51.6%
  Westfund	41.3%	47.3%	42.6%	48.7%	44.7%	45.2%	41.9%	42.2%	47.5%

  State of the Funds report.'N/A' signifies no activity in that state.

Get cheap extras cover

Filter by price to find the cheapest extras policies available on Finder.

Finder Score - Health Insurance Extras

Each month we analyse over 10,000 extras insurance products and rate each one on price and features. What we end up with is a nice round number that helps you compare extras cover a bit faster.

Remember that Finder Score is just one factor to consider. Look at other aspects like fees, features, benefits and risks to make sure a product is suitable for you. Double-check details that matter to you before applying or buying.

• 9+ Excellent - Competitive pricing coupled with highly ranked extras.
• 7+ Great -Balanced pricing and features, offering overall good value.
• 5+ Satisfactory - These products offer a balance between price and features.
• Less than 5 – Basic - These products usually offer fewer extras or above average pricing.

• Learn more about Finder score

  Pools and categories

  We want to compare apples to apples, not apples to apple pie. It doesn't make sense to compare a top extras policy with coverage for hearing aids and braces against a policy designed only for dental. So we've separated all the extras policies on the market into pools and categories.

  The Finder Score methodology is designed by our insights team and reviewed by our editorial team. Commercial partners carry no weight, and all products are reviewed objectively.

  Once in their pools and categories, each product gets a Price Score and a Features Score, which are then combined to give the Final Score.

  Pools

  We've made 28 pools covering each state and lifestage. Each product is put into a pool, and can only be part of that 1 pool. This means each product is only compared against other products that make sense. Each pool has a unique combination of:

  • State - The state the policyholder resides in

  • Lifestage - Single / Single Parent Family / Couple / Family

  With 7 states (Health Insurance is the same price in NSW and ACT) and 4 life stages, this multiplies out to the 28 pools. This process makes sure each product gets a score based on their position within a similar group of products.

  Categories

  Category: We also give each product a Category, depending on the number of extras that are provided. Extras that only cover Ambulance are excluded from receiving a Finder Score. The categories are Core, Medium and Comprehensive. Policies are only considered in the highest category they are eligible for.

  

  Price Score

  The monthly price for each product is compared against other products within its assigned product pool and category. Each product is assigned a score between 1 - 10, with the lower the price, the higher the score.

  Features Score

  We calculate a score between 1 - 10 for each extras treatment category the product offers. 3 factors are scored individually based on their position in the pool, and are averaged to determine the individual score for each extra

  • The limit associated with the extra,
  • How many extras is the particular extra combined with, and
  • The waiting period.

  We calculate the score for each extras treatment category after assigning them a pool depending on their position within the assigned pool. The extras treatment categories that are scored are based on the classification of 'core extras' from the Australian government.

  We calculate the weighted average for each extras treatment category, based on the product category.

  Health insurance extras

  Treatment category

  Final Score

  The Cost Component scores and Features Component scores are combined and normalised to determine each product's Finder Score.

Why you can trust Finder's health insurance experts

Addicted to details. We reviewed literally thousands of extra policies – when we say some are better value than others, it's because we've gone deep into the ts & cs.

No extra cost. Pay the same amount with us as going direct. Features like dental, and your new specs get verified from 400+ policies, so you can make a decision without having to check hundreds of extras limits yourself.

No BS. We say it like it is. We aren't owned by an insurer and our editorial opinions are our own. There's no call centre, heck you don't even need to give us your email.

Frequently asked questions

• What is extras-only health insurance?

  Extras cover is a type of health insurance that helps you pay for treatments and services such as dental, physio and glasses. These aren't usually covered by Medicare and are typically done out-of-hospital.

• What's the cheapest extras cover in Australia?

  We looked at 236 extras policies. At around $12 per month, Bupa Extras Saver offers the cheapest extras insurance cover according to our research. It only covers general dental.

• When do extras benefits reset?

  Extras benefits usually reset either on 1 January or 1 July, depending on your insurer. These dates represent the start of the calendar year or the financial year. Occasionally, it may be based on the date you took out your policy, also known as your policy anniversary. You can see details on when each fund resets extras benefits here.

• Will extras cover exempt me from the MLS?

  No, extras insurance will not exempt you from the Medicare Levy Surcharge. For high-earners to be exempt from the MLS you'll need private hospital cover, rather than extras. The hospital policy must have an excess of $750 or less for singles, or $1,500 or less for couples and families.

• Will extras coverage exempt me from the LHC?

  No, extras will not exempt you from the Lifetime Health Cover loading (LHC). To be exempt for the LHC after your 31st birthday, you'll need private hospital cover instead.

• Is extras insurance worth it?

  If you're breaking even in cost, but are going to the dentist and using more health services than before, you're coming out ahead in both health and cost. This is because preventative measures, such as dental cleaning, which is included in many extras policies, mean you're less likely to need more expensive treatments later.

  General dental cover, in particular, is one of the stars of any extras policy. It's available with the most inexpensive and basic plans. Some extras policies even cover 100% of the cost of up to two dental checks per year.

  Children who have regular dental check-ups in general tend to be at lower risk of oral disease as they get older; and adults can also take advantage of regular checks and professional dental cleaning to help stave off more complex and expensive conditions. Health extras can start delivering benefits almost immediately, but much like other forms of insurance some of the advantages only pay off years later.

• Do you pay an excess on extras cover?

  No, you will not need to pay an excess on extras health insurance cover. Excesses are only applicable to hospital claims.

• What is the best private health insurance in Australia?

  Some top-rated providers include Bupa, HCF and Medibank, offering comprehensive policies. Medibank and Bupa are the most popular brands, with the largest membership bases.

• Can you get extras cover without hospital cover?

  Yes, most insurers offer standalone extras policies that you can purchase without needing to buy hospital cover. This can be beneficial if you want cover for things like dental treatment, remedial massage and optometry.

How we calculate Health Insurance Extras Finder Scores

Read full methodology

What different scores mean

9+

Excellent

Competitive pricing coupled with highly ranked extras.

7+

Great

Balanced pricing and features, offering overall good value.

5+

Standard

These products offer a balance between price and features.

0+

Basic

These products usually offer fewer extras or above average pricing.

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Angus Kidman as part of our fact-checking process.

Written by

Tim Bennett

Insurance expert

Tim Bennett is a Finder insurance & utilities expert. For over 10 years he's reported on news, politics, finance and other topics as a journalist and radio presenter. Tim's roles have included radio news reader and breakfast at the ABC, news producer for SBS and producer for Fairfax Media. Tim regularly appears as a health insurance expert on programs like Sunrise and SBS news, as well as in the Australian, The Daily Telegraph, The Courier Mail and more. See full bio

Tim's expertise

Tim has written 122 Finder guides across topics including:

• Personal finance
• Financial comparison
• Health insurance
• General insurance
• Life insurance