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Extras cover in Australia

400+ policies crunched for popular treatments including dental, physio, massage and new specs.

Who is this cover for?

Key takeaways

  • Extras cover helps pay for non-hospital treatments like dental, optical, physiotherapy and more.
  • Most extras treatments are not covered by Medicare.
  • Extras cover starts at around $3 per week.

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

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.

Great for the basics: Westfund - Starter Extras

Starter Extras

From

$5.92

/week

Extras only

From

$5.92

/week

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.

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.

Service coveredDescription
General dentalAlso called routine dental, this includes general examinations, clean and polishes, extractions, fillings and more.
Major dentalMajor dental includes work like crowns, veneers, dentures, periodontics and more.
OrthodonticsOrthodontic treatments include braces, aligners and retainers. This benefit is normally subject to a lifetime benefit limit.
EndodonticsEndodontics deals with issues inside the tooth, including root canals.
OpticalOptical cover typically includes the cost of prescription glasses and sunglasses, as well as contact lenses.
OsteopathyOsteopathy is an alternative medicine focused on muscle and bones, and is partly covered by many extras policies.
Healthy lifestyleThis benefit can help with things like quite smoking programs and gym memberships, if recommended by a GP.
Travel vaccinationsVaccinations needed for travel
Ambulance servicesAmbulance isn't covered by the government in most states, so many extras policies includes private cover for it.
PhysiotherapyPhysical therapy can be partially covered by many extras plans, including exams, diagnosis and rehabilitation.
ChiropracticSome select alternative therapies, including chriro, can be covered by some extras policies.
Non-PBS medicationThis benefit can cover some of the costs of medications not covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
Health aidsHealth aids is a wide category that can cover appliances like artificial limbs, testing kits and health monitors.
PodiatryPodiatry covers issues with your feet, including orthotics and some surgery.
PsychologyMental health checks and therapy sessions can be partially covered by some extras policies.
DieteticsSupport and consultations for food and nutrition services.
Hearing AidsCoverage for hearing aid devices and audiology services can be covered. You'll generally only be able to claim for hearing aids every few years (3 to 5 years is common).

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 October 2024 the average price Australians paif for extras was $60 per month (about $15 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
Gary Ross Hunter's headshot

"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."

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:

Cover methodProsCons
Set benefits
  • You can customise your cover by picking a policy that pays the highest benefits for specific services.
  • Some funds increase the benefits each year that you continue to hold cover as a loyalty bonus.
  • Harder to calculate your out-of-pocket expenses, unless you know how much the provider charges for your treatment.
Percentage benefits
  • Provides more certainty as you know whatever the bill is a set percentage of it is covered.
  • You may be able to opt for a higher percentage back in exchange for paying a slightly higher premium.
  • No ability to prioritise specific services, since the percentage back applies to everything covered by the policy.

Get cheap extras cover

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

1 - 10 of 51
Name and lozenges Finder Score Treatments Price
Finder score
  • General dental
  • Major dental
  • Optical
  • Physiotherapy
  • Chiropractic
  • Psychology
  • Remedial massage
  • Hearing aids
Get up to 8 weeks free. For new joins who maintain eligible Extras cover. T&Cs apply. Learn more.
$17.20
per month
Go to SiteView details
HCF STARTER EXTRAS
Extras cover
Finder score
  • General dental
  • Major dental
  • Optical
  • Physiotherapy
  • Chiropractic
  • Psychology
  • Remedial massage
  • Hearing aids
$17.45
per month
Go to SiteView details
black 50 saver
Extras cover
Finder score
  • General dental
  • Major dental
  • Optical
  • Physiotherapy
  • Chiropractic
  • Psychology
  • Remedial massage
  • Hearing aids
Get up to 8 weeks free. For new joins who maintain eligible Extras cover. T&Cs apply. Learn more.
$18.80
per month
Go to SiteView details
Freedom 50
Extras cover
Finder score
  • General dental
  • Major dental
  • Optical
  • Physiotherapy
  • Chiropractic
  • Psychology
  • Remedial massage
  • Hearing aids
$20.00
per month
Go to SiteView details
Finder score
  • General dental
  • Major dental
  • Optical
  • Physiotherapy
  • Chiropractic
  • Psychology
  • Remedial massage
  • Hearing aids
$23.10
per month
Go to SiteView details
Basic Extras
Extras cover
Finder score
  • General dental
  • Major dental
  • Optical
  • Physiotherapy
  • Chiropractic
  • Psychology
  • Remedial massage
  • Hearing aids
$27.05
per month
Go to SiteView details
Starter Extras
Extras cover
Finder score
  • General dental
  • Major dental
  • Optical
  • Physiotherapy
  • Chiropractic
  • Psychology
  • Remedial massage
  • Hearing aids
$32.20
per month
Go to SiteView details
Finder score
  • General dental
  • Major dental
  • Optical
  • Physiotherapy
  • Chiropractic
  • Psychology
  • Remedial massage
  • Hearing aids
Want up to 8 weeks free plus a $50 gift card? Join and maintain eligible Extras cover by 4 Dec 2024. T&Cs Apply. Excludes Healthy Living Extras. Learn more.
$36.90
per month
Go to SiteView details
Finder score
  • General dental
  • Major dental
  • Optical
  • Physiotherapy
  • Chiropractic
  • Psychology
  • Remedial massage
  • Hearing aids
Want up to 8 weeks free plus a $50 gift card? Join and maintain eligible Extras cover by 4 Dec 2024. T&Cs Apply. Excludes Healthy Living Extras. Learn more.
$36.95
per month
Go to SiteView details
HCF FLEX MY EXTRAS
Extras cover
Finder score
  • General dental
  • Major dental
  • Optical
  • Physiotherapy
  • Chiropractic
  • Psychology
  • Remedial massage
  • Hearing aids
$38.90
per month
Go to SiteView details
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Showing 10 of 51 results

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.

Why you can trust Finder's health insurance experts

helpAddicted 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.
freeNo 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.
independentNo 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

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

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 117 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Personal finance
  • Financial comparison
  • Health insurance
  • General insurance
  • Life insurance

Read more on this topic

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    What do the annual benefit limits on your health insurance extras cover actually mean? Find out here.

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  • Physiotherapy insurance

    Physiotherapy services can be beneficial at any life stage, so it could be worth considering and comparing extras health insurance that can cover the cost of this type of treatment.

  • Health insurance for orthotics

    This article explains which private health insurance policies cover orthotics and how you can find the right level of cover for your health needs.

  • Optical health cover

    To cover the cost of eye tests, glasses, contact lenses and other optical services, you’ll need to take out extras cover from a private health fund.

  • Health insurance for non-PBS pharmaceuticals

    If you're wondering what pharmaceutical costs are covered by private health insurance, we've got a guide to health cover for non-PBS pharmaceuticals here.

  • Health insurance for laser eye surgery

    finder.com.au explains how the private and public health system in Australia handles optical procedures and services.

  • Health insurance gym membership

    This guide takes a look at private health insurance in relation to gym membership and other health-related services.

  • Is naturopathy covered by health insurance?

    Discover more about accessing naturopathy, herbal remedies, traditional Chinese medicine and other alternatives with coverage through your health insurance.

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