Blog article
Considering extras cover? Here’s everything you need to know
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:
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Do you or your family need regular dental care?
Are you visiting the dentist for check-ups, or do you anticipate needing dental work in the future, such as braces or wisdom teeth removal?
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Do you wear glasses or contact lenses?
If you're a glasses or contact lenses wearer, extras cover can help pay benefits towards associated optical costs.
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Do you see a physio or chiropractor, or engage in other allied health treatments?
Are you visiting a physiotherapist, chiropractor, or other practitioners regularly to recover from injuries or manage a chronic condition?
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Do you or anyone in your family have specific health requirements?
Are there needs for services like speech therapy, occupational therapy, or hearing aids that could be covered under extras?
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Are you looking for coverage for other health services?
Beyond the basics, extras cover can also include services like psychology, nutrition, dietetics, podiatry, and more.
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:
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Reduced out-of-pocket expenses:
It helps offset costs for services that aren’t covered by Medicare, meaning you’re not paying the full amount out-of-pocket for treatments.
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Access to a range of services:
You can receive a benefit for a variety of treatments, from dental work to physiotherapy, ensuring you have access to the care you need. Please note annual limits apply.
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Convenience and flexibility:
Having extras cover means you can access the HBF Member Plus Network, helping you minimise your out-of-pocket costs and choice in your provider.
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Preventative health:
It covers you for preventative and routine care, potentially avoiding more serious health issues down the line.
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Peace of mind:
Knowing that you have coverage for everyday health services can provide reassurance for the moments when you need it.
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:
- 100% back1 on your first dental scale and clean every year
- Fully covered2 glasses from the no-gap range up to your annual limit
- Fully covered3 flu vaccination every year
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.
