Basic Extras

An annual limit is the maximum amount of money you can claim for a service within a calendar year. Each person on your policy has their own annual limits.

The amount you can claim back on extras services depends on your benefits (the amount you get back when you claim) and your annual limits (the maximum amount you can claim in a year).

Nearly all extras insurance policies only cover services to a limited extent, which means you'll usually pay for some of the service out of your own pocket.

What makes extras insurance worthwhile is that Medicare generally doesn't cover extras services, so without extras insurance you'd have to cover the full cost of treatment every time you receive a service.

The specific extras services you're covered for depends on your health fund, level of cover and the specific policy you choose. Here are some examples of common services extras insurance can cover:

• Dental treatment — this includes preventative dental, general restorative dental, major dental and implants, and orthodontics
• Physiotherapy
• Optical - glasses and contact lenses
• Chiropractic treatment
• Podiatry

Extras insurance (also called extras cover or ancillary cover) helps cover the cost of everyday healthcare services in Australia, such as dental, physiotherapy and optical. These services are generally not covered by Medicare.

Private health insurance cannot pay for out-of-hospital medical services like GP visits, specialist consultations, scans, blood tests or eye exams. These are typically covered by Medicare instead, as health funds are not permitted to pay benefits for these services.