7 things you can claim on your extras cover that may surprise you

Published November 2024 | 4 min read
Expert contributor Julie Macey, HCF Head of Ancillary Benefits
Words by Lucy E Cousins

Are you keen to use your extras cover for more than just dental and optical? From swimming lessons to teeth whitening, these are some of the more unique services that may be included in your extras cover.

When you think of private health cover, your thoughts might turn to hospital stays and unexpected accidents. That’s understandable. Having your choice of specialist and avoiding waiting lists are key benefits. But alongside your hospital cover, it's worth considering extras cover too, says HCF Head of Ancillary Benefits, Julie Macey.

“Getting the right level of hospital cover is really important, because that’s an area of expense that many of us couldn't find the money for if we needed to,” she says. “However, extras cover prompts you to take care of your overall health needs. It nudges you to look after yourself and give yourself a level of self-care.”

How that self-care looks is up to you, of course. That’s one of the benefits of extras cover – it’s flexible, designed to cover a wide range of services and can be customised to suit your lifestyle.

What is extras cover?

Extras cover (also known as ancillary cover) sits alongside your hospital cover (but can be taken out without hospital cover) and is designed to cover out-of-hospital health services that aren’t covered by Medicare. These usually include services like dental, optical, physiotherapy and chiropractic, plus some complementary services.

The amount you're covered for, as well as the extent of the benefits you can claim for, depend on your health fund and the type of policy you select. You can elect to just have extras cover, or some health funds – like HCF – offer cost-effective packages that include both hospital and extras cover, with a range of premiums.

How is HCF extras cover different?

HCF’s range of extras cover supports your health in the way you need it to. From our Top Extras to our Starter Extras, you’ll be covered for services that help you maintain your health on a daily basis.

All our extras covers include at least one dental check-up (including clean and scale) per person per calendar year^*. Protection that Julie says is essential for everyone aged over one or within six months of their first tooth.

“Self-care can sometimes sound a bit fluffy, but there's nothing fluffy about getting your teeth cleaned at least once a year, and having your teeth and gums checked not just for decay, but also for other issues like oral cancers,” she says.

As well as dental practitioners, HCF’s No-Gap nationwide network includes physios, chiros, osteos and podiatrists where eligible HCF members can receive 100% back on a range of no-gap services^*. And, our extras cover offers a range of benefits that Julie says many members don’t use enough.

“While we know not everybody needs all these services all the time, our research shows that members don't use their extras cover to their full advantage,” she says. “We have some services that will always be infrequently claimed, speech pathology and occupational therapy, for example. But we certainly do want everybody to use their extras cover as best they can.”

Members clearly have their favourite treatment types, too, she adds. For some people, that might be remedial massages, for others it could be a chiropractor. However, she advises members to fully understand the benefits included in their polices, and to consider if they could be using them more efficiently.

What services are included in extras cover?

While extras cover inclusions vary among health funds, HCF extras cover includes services that might surprise some members^{^}. These include:

• Learning to swim: Eligible members may be able to claim for swimming lessons run by swim schools that are ASSA members, AUSTSWIM (Gold and Silver level) or Swim Australia swim centres, if they're part of a member's health management program.
• Weight management: Maintaining a healthy weight is a goal for many Australians, so at HCF, eligible members may be able to claim for a dietitian-led HCF-approved weight management program, as well as one script for certain weight loss medications, which are registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods for weight loss and not listed on the PBS. And if you've been recommended an exercise or gym program to help treat a specific medical condition (like arthritis, hypertension, obesity, asthma, diabetes or osteoporosis) by your healthcare practitioner, you may be able to claim part of the cost of your exercise classes and gym memberships.
• Childbirth education: As part of our health programs for families, eligible members planning to expand their family or who are already pregnant may be able to claim online classes run by an HCF-recognised childbirth educator, like an AHPRA-registered nurse or midwife. We also offer access to breastfeeding consultations from HCF-recognised lactation specialists to help with those first few weeks.
• Teeth whitening: Along with a check-up and clean at our nationwide network of 7,000 dentists in our More for Teeth program, eligible members may also be able to claim towards teeth whitening⁺.
• Vaccinations: The cost of vaccinations can add up. As part of your extras cover, you may be able to claim for HCF-approved vaccinations, including travel vaccines and the shingles vaccine. Check your cover details in the My Membership app or online member services to find out more.

How often should you review your extras cover?

While you don’t need to review your extras cover every year, says Julie, waiting for a new life stage change might be too infrequent.

“I would say it’s important to reconsider your extras cover at least every 18 months, just to see if there's anything that better suits your needs,” she says.

This would take into account lifestyle changes, like having children or needing more support, as well as any new products available from your health fund.

“You might just find another product that suits you better at this time, because your health has changed, and you need less of one thing or more of something else,” she says.

And if you’ve got niggles or health concerns, Julie says to go and use your health insurance to get it seen to. That’s what it’s designed for.

Choose the best cover for you

When it comes time to choosing your extras cover, head to our quote tool to help you find the right cover to suit your needs. Or you can chat to our team. We’re here to support you on your health journey.