How to get your (parents’) money’s worth out of your family health cover

By HBF

3 minutes

16 December 2019

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It’s easy to forget that you have health insurance when you’re young and healthy, and your parents pick up the tab. Since you’re not paying for it, you may as well make the most of it while you still can. Here’s how.

Jump the queue for surgery. Not that you’ll need it. But if you do, you’ll get to choose when to have your surgery (instead of going on a public hospital waiting list).

This is a big deal, and one of the greatest perks of having private health cover. Without it, you could be waiting months or even years for surgery at a public hospital—which is no fun if you’re injured or sick.

Plus, you get a private room (if it’s covered on your hospital cover and available) to watch Netflix in peace.

Treat yourself with extras cover benefits 

Sometimes all you need is a little hands-on spinal manipulation to feel like yourself again.

But since chiro, like other general treatments (like dental, optical and physio) aren’t usually done in a hospital, your hospital insurance won’t cover them. Extras cover will, so if your parents chose to buy it, you’ll get the sweet benefits that go with it.

Most extras cover gives you money back on your glasses, dental work and physio treatments, but the real perks are the treatments that are fully covered, like:

  • Get 100% back on one scale and clean each year at a Member Plus Dental Provider (Available on selected products)
  • Get 100% back on one flu vaccine each year at select Member Plus Pharmacies (Available on selected products)
  • Unlimited urgent ambulance cover - on emergency and transport by road.

How much you can claim back each year varies depending on your level of cover. The take-away is that most annual limits reset on 1 January, so if you’ve been craving a good tooth clean, get on it now.

Use HBF Member Perks

HBF members have access to an exclusive selection of perks we call HBF Member Perks. This means you can get some discounts on things you’re probably already doing anyway like seeing a movie or going to the gym. You can also get discounts on glasses and contacts. Check out the full list of benefits to see what you could save.

Get your own HBF card

If you’re over 18, you can request your own card so it’s always handy when you need to use your family health cover. Order one through the HBF app, by logging in to myHBF or call us on 133 423.

 
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