Blog article

Considering extras cover? Here’s everything you need to know

By HBF
4 MINUTES
12 September 2024
Woman trying new glasses on
Extras cover, also known as ancillary cover, helps cover the cost of everyday health care services that Medicare doesn’t generally pay a benefit towards.

While hospital cover helps cover costs when you are admitted to hospital for surgery and other types of medical treatment, extras cover helps cover costs for services like dental, optical, physio, chiro and more.

Essentially, extras cover aims to help you stay healthy day-to-day.

How do I know if I need extras cover?

While extras cover is a non-negotiable for some, it’s not necessary for others. To help you decide, we recommend asking yourself these five questions:

If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions, it might be worth considering extras cover to help manage and reduce your out-of-pocket expenses.

5 benefits of extras cover

Extras cover provides several advantages that can enhance your overall health and wellbeing, including:

Extras cover available at HBF

To give you ultimate flexibility and choice, HBF offer six extras cover options: Basic Extras; Flex 50; Flex 60; Core Extras; Complete 60; and Top 70.

Basic Extras: Affordable cover for 7 popular services: Preventative Dental; General Dental; Optical; Physiotherapy; Chiropractic; Osteopathy; Urgent Ambulance; and Healthy Living Programs.

Flex 50: 50% or more back on 14 popular services. This includes all 7 services covered in Basic Extras, plus, Major Dental and Implants; Natural Therapies (including Remedial Massage); Exercise Physiology; Pharmaceuticals (non-PBS); Psychology; and Dietetics and Nutrition.5

Flex 60: 60% or more back on 14 popular services. This includes all services covered in Basic Extras and Flex 50.6

Core Extras: Cover for 18 popular services. This includes all services covered in Basic Extras, Flex 50 and Flex 60, plus Orthodontics; Podiatry; Occupational Therapy; Eye Therapy; and Speech Therapy.

Complete 60: 60% or more back on 20 popular services. This includes all services covered in Basic Extras and Flex 50, Flex 60, and Core Extras plus Hearing Aids; and Appliances, Prostheses and Aids.

Top 70: 70% or more back on 20 popular services. This includes all services covered in in Basic Extras and Flex 50, Flex 60, Core Extras and Complete 60.

Important note: Across all HBF products and services, benefits are payable up to applicable annual limits and only for services and programs approved by HBF and delivered by providers that are approved by HBF. Waiting periods may apply before benefits are payable.

Depending on your level of cover, HBF members also get a range of great benefits by visiting a Member Plus provider, this includes:

How do I know which extras cover is right for me?

At HBF, we make it easy to compare different extras cover options to find the plan that best suits your needs and budget.

You can use our recommendation tool where you’ll answer a few simple questions like your motivations for taking out cover, who you want to cover, and your age, and we’ll recommend the ideal extras product for your needs.

You can also quickly and easily compare all HBF extras cover in our handy online table.

A couple of important things to remember

If you’re buying extras cover for the first time or you’re upgrading your policy, you may need to serve a waiting period. A waiting period is a set amount of time during which you can’t claim benefits. All health funds have waiting periods. They exist to stop people from joining, claiming and leaving without contributing premiums to the health fund

If you are switching to HBF from another fund, waiting periods may or may not apply, depending on the policy you hold and the services you are covered for with your current health fund. You can find more information about switching to HBF here.

If you’re a high income earner, having extras cover will not help you avoid the Medicare Levy Surcharge. You will only be exempt from the Medicare Levy Surcharge if you have an appropriate level of hospital cover.


Please note: This blog was originally published on 26 August 2024 and has been updated to include the latest information.


Disclaimer:

1 Fully covered scale and clean available once per year at any HBF Member Plus dental provider.

2 Glasses are fully covered when the frame is chosen from no-gap ranges at Member Plus optical stores and fitted with hard coated or uncoated single vision, bi-focal or multi-focal/progressive lenses. Not all lens prescriptions and supplementary services are eligible as part of no gap ranges.

3 You must be covered for Healthy Living Programs on your extras cover to be eligible to claim a benefit for a flu vaccination. Service must be delivered by an approved, participating provider.* Additional provider terms and conditions apply. Member Plus pharmacy arrangements available in WA, NSW, VIC, TAS, SA, QLD and ACT only. Waiting periods and limits may apply.

* The flu vaccination must be provided by an approved HBF participating provider. Where the HBF participating provider is a participating pharmacy, they are only permitted to provide the vaccine to members who are 10+ years old; if the vaccine is delivered at a participating medical clinic, members must be 6+ months old. Participating providers may have additional terms and conditions. Please see your provider for more information.

4 Covers unlimited urgent ambulance treatment or transport by road only (excludes air transport). Ambulance services are not free or not covered by Medicare or the Government in most Australian states (Queensland and Tasmania exempt).

5 A $200 sub-limit applies to Natural Therapies (includes Remedial Massage).

6 A $250 sub-limit applies to Natural Therapies (includes Remedial Massage).


This article contains general information only and does not take into account the health, personal situation or needs of any person. In conjunction with your GP or treating health care professional, please consider whether the information is suitable for you and your personal circumstances.

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