Extras cover in private health insurance

Extras cover in private health insurance

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Insurances Writer
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What is extras cover health Insurance?

Extras-only health insurance, or ancillary cover, helps pay for treatments and services from medical and allied health professionals not typically subsidised through Medicare. These ‘extras’ can include dental, optical, physiotherapy, and podiatry. As these services aren’t typically covered by Medicare, this type of insurance can help reduce your out-of-pocket expenses.

You’ll usually be able to start claiming money back once any waiting periods are met, though most policies will only allow you to claim back a certain percentage for each service, subject to annual cover limits.

What are the different levels of extras health insurance?

Most insurance providers offer three levels of extras cover: basic, medium, and top-level:

Basic extras cover

Basic extras cover offers more limited coverage, but it’s typically the most affordable option. Common services covered by a basic extras policy include:

It’s good to be aware that basic extras policies often come with combined group limits and lower reimbursement rates—meaning you’ll pay more out-of-pocket for services. Because of this, premiums tend to be lower than those for higher-level extras policies.

Medium extras cover

Medium extras cover strikes a balance between cost and coverage. These policies are ideal for those looking for good value, with coverage for a broader range of services than basic policies. Medium extras policies include:

You may also receive coverage for:

Medium extras policies typically offer higher annual limits than basic policies, although they often won’t match the more comprehensive coverage of top-tier plans. Medium extras policies provide an affordable option for those seeking more coverage without paying the premium of a high-level plan.

Top extras cover

Top extras cover offers the most extensive range of healthcare services, making it generally the most expensive option when looking for cover. With the highest limits and largest rebate percentages, these comprehensive policies help cover a wide array of treatments, ultimately reducing your out-of-pocket expenses. A top-tier policy typically includes, but is not limited to, coverage for:

  • General dental
  • Major dental
  • Endodontics
  • Orthodontics
  • Optical
  • Non-PBS pharmaceuticals
  • Physiotherapy
  • Podiatry
  • Psychology
  • Acupuncture

While top-level extras cover comes at a higher price, it provides the broadest protection and is suitable for people seeking comprehensive health benefits with higher annual limits and extensive coverage. Specific coverage varies depending on your provider, so always check what each policy includes before deciding.

How much does extras cover cost?

The cost of your extras-only health insurance will depend on your level of coverage, location and whether the policy is for a family, couple or single.

Canstar’s database shows monthly premiums from $9 to $350. Use our comparison table at the top of the page to compare extras cover from our Online Partners and each policies’ approximate monthly premiums.

Looking for a more personalised quote and pricing? Click the ‘Get a personalised quote now’ button at the top of the page.

How to find the best extras cover

Finding the best extras cover for you will ultimately depend on your healthcare needs and financial circumstances. Canstar’s Health Insurance Awards is a good place to start. We research and rate hundreds of health insurance policies each year, recognising providers who offer outstanding value to consumers.

Already have extras cover but unsure whether your policy is giving you good value for money? Request an annual claims statement from your provider. This will show the total benefits received in that financial year. To check whether you’re getting good value, look at your total benefits and your out-of-pocket costs against the cost of your premiums.

If you’re thinking about switching or want to take out a new extras policy, compare extras cover from our Online Partners using the comparison table above. For a more personalised health insurance quote, click the ‘Get a personalised quote now’ button at the top of this page.

Frequently asked questions about Extras cover in private health insurance

What you’re covered for will differ depending on the level of your extras-only health insurance policy, but extras cover can include the following treatments and services:

  • General Dental: covers routine and preventative treatments such as scale and clean, polish, check-ups, examinations, x-rays and fillings.
  • Major Dental: includes periodontal (gum treatment), endodontic (root canal), crowns and bridges.
  • Orthodontic: includes treatments for teeth straightening, overbite, chewing and jaw alignment like braces, retainers and Invisalign.
  • Optical: covers prescription glasses, frames and contact lenses.
  • Non-PBS Pharmaceuticals: covers pharmaceutical prescription items not listed on the general schedule of the Federal Government’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
  • Physiotherapy: covers consultations and rehabilitation to treat physical issues caused by injury, surgical operation, illness and age-related changes.
  • Chiropractic: covers consultations for health problems related to the musculoskeletal system and treatments such as spinal adjustments and joint pain relief.
  • Exercise physiology: includes consults and physical rehabilitation by an exercise physiologist such as exercise counselling, physical assessments and prescription exercise programs.
  • Occupational therapy: includes consultations to improve and enable people with physical, mental or developmental conditions to engage and participate in everyday ‘occupations’ such as daily living activities (for example showering, dressing, preparing food).
  • Podiatry: includes treatments and services of the ankles and feet such as general toenail and skin care (for example ingrown toenails, corns, warts), musculoskeletal injuries and conditions (for example Achilles injuries, bursitis, plantar fasciitis), footwear padding and foot orthotics.
  • Osteopathy: covers consultations and treatments such as soft tissue and bone manipulations.
  • Remedial massage: covers consultations such as deep tissue massages.
  • Natural therapies: includes cover for acupuncture, dry needling and Chinese medicine.
  • Psychology: covers consultations with a psychologist or clinical psychologist for mental or physical health conditions such as anxiety, depression, pain management or eating disorders.
  • Dietetics and nutrition: covers consultations with a dietitian or nutritionist for dietary, nutrition and eating advice.
  • Speech therapy: includes consultations to diagnose and treat swallowing disorders or verbal speech disabilities or impediments.
  • Eye therapy: covers assessments and consultations with an orthoptist to treat eye conditions such as lazy eye and poor focus.
  • Hearing aids: if included, covers the costs of hearing aids for people with hearing impairments.
  • Appliances, prostheses and aids: includes medically necessary appliances and prostheses that help manage, monitor or treat a health condition such as blood pressure and glucose monitors, post-surgical bras and joint braces.
  • Preventative tests, scans and screenings: can include skin cancer screenings, bone mineral density tests, breast examinations and bowel cancer tests.

Health insurance providers typically have waiting periods that you have to serve before you can make a claim for a particular treatment or service. For extras cover, waiting periods are set by the individual providers. As an example, we’ve compiled a table of the minimum, median and maximum monthly waiting periods for some common services on Canstar’s database.

Monthly waiting periods for extras health insurance services

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Min Median Max
Acupuncture 0 2 2
Audiology 0 2 2
Chinese Herbal
Medicine
0 2 2
Chiropractic 0 2 2
Dental
(General)
0 2 2
Dental
(Major)
2 12 12
Dietetics 0 2 2
Endodontic 2 12 12
Exercise
Physiology
0 2 2
Glucose
Monitor
2 12 36
Health
Management
0 2 12
Hearing
Aids
12 36 36
Home
Nursing
2 2 2
Massage 0 2 2
Non-PBS 0 2 2
Occupational
Therapy
0 2 2
Optical 0 6 6
Orthodontic 12 12 24
Orthoptics 0 2 2
Orthotics 2 2 12
Osteopathy 0 2 2
Physiotherapy 0 2 2
Podiatry 0 2 2
Psychology 0 2 12
Speech
Therapy
0 2 2
Vaccinations 0 2 2

Source: www.canstar.com.au – 07/10/2025. Based on standalone extras only health insurance policies on Canstar’s Database. OSHC, visitor, and corporate policies, as well as policies from restricted funds, are excluded.


Once waiting periods are served and you maintain that cover in your policy you don’t have to serve the waiting period again. Even when you switch providers, the Australian Government’s Department of Health, Disability and Ageing says you won’t be required to re-serve waiting periods if you have the same cover in your current policy.

Unlike hospital-related claims, you won’t need to pay a health insurance excess when using your extras cover. Instead, you’ll likely make a gap payment after you’ve received treatment. This is the out-of-pocket amount that’s not covered by your policy. Some extras health insurance policies may offer no gap payments for certain treatments and services, but this will ultimately depend on your policy and provider.

If you’re weighing up whether to get extras cover, it’s a good idea to firstly consider what you want to be covered for. Many of the services covered by extras policies are generally not covered by Medicare. So, it could be worth getting cover if you think you’re going to be using these services regularly in the future.

For example, this could be the case if you wear glasses or contact lenses. If you have kids you can also include them on your health insurance through a family health insurance policy. This could be handy if they need to get glasses or braces at some point in the future.

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Nick Whiting, Insurances Writer

Nick Whiting
Nick is Canstar's Insurances Writer, providing assistance to Canstar's Editorial Team in its mission to empower consumers to take control of their finances. He has written hundreds of articles for Canstar across all key finance topics. Coming from a screenwriting background, Nick completed a Bachelor of Film, Television and New Media Production from Queensland University of Technology. Nick has also completed RG 146 (Tier 1), making him compliant to provide general advice for general insurance products like car, home, travel and health insurance, as well as giving him knowledge of investment options such as shares, derivatives, futures, managed investments, currencies and commodities. Nick’s role at Canstar allows him to combine his love of the written word with his interest in finance, having learned the art of share trading from his late grandfather. Nick strives to deliver clear and straightforward content that helps the everyday consumer navigating the world of finance. Nick is also working on a TV series in his spare time. You can connect with Nick on LinkedIn.

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Joshua Sale

As Canstar’s Group Manager, Research, Ratings & Product Data, Josh Sale is responsible for the methodology and delivery of Canstar’s Health Insurance Star Ratings and Awards. With tertiary qualifications in economics and finance, Josh has worked behind the scenes for the last five years to develop Star Ratings and Awards that help connect consumers with the right product for them.

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