Australian Unity health insurance review

Hospital Coverage

Generally, you will have to wait 12 months before you can get access to the services included in your hospital cover policy (or 2 months if it's not pre-existing). Most extras policies have between 2- and 12-month waiting periods.

Australian Unity offers eight different hospital policies:

• Simple Hospital (Basic Plus). Includes hospital cover for accidents and emergency ambulance transport, as well as dental surgery, hernia and appendix, joint reconstructions and tonsils, adenoids and grommets.
• Core Hospital (Bronze Plus). Covers the 18 clinical categories required for a Bronze rating, plus six additional categories. Gap cover is also included along with some preventative health services and support programs.
• Standard Hospital (Bronze Plus).Covers 25 clinical categories, including medically necessary plastic surgery. Gap cover is also included, as well as health services such as mammogram screening and bone density scans.
• Midpoint Hospital (Silver Plus). Covers the 28 clinical categories required for a Silver rating, plus sleep studies. Gap cover and extra health services also included.
• Intermediate Hospital (Silver Plus). Covers 31 clinical categories, including the heart and vascular system .Gap cover, preventative health services and support programs also included.
• Value Hospital (Silver Plus, with $100 daily co-payment). Covers 34 clinical categories, including cataracts and joint replacements, plus gap cover and additional health services. Excesses and co-payments help with premium affordability.
• Classic Hospital (Silver Plus). Covers 34 health categories, only excluding assisted reproductive services, dialisis, pregnancy and birth, and weight loss surgery. Gap cover and additional health services included.
• Complete Hospital (Gold, with $100 daily co-payment). Covers all 38 clinical health categories required for a Gold rating, plus a range of perks. An excess and daily co-payment for hospital admissions helps keep premiums down.

Extras coverage

Australian Unity's standalone extras covers include Base Extras, Mid Extras, Active Extras and Prime Extras.

• Base Extras. Covers up to $1,150 per year on extras including general and preventative dental, optical, physiotherapy, chiropractic services, osteopathy, remedial massage and travel vaccinations.
• Mid Extras. This policy provides up to $2,400 per year for the most common extras including general and preventative dental, physiotherapy, chiropractic services, osteopathy and remedial massage, and crowns, bridges and dentures.
• Active Extras. This policy allows you to claim up to $5,750 per year for most extras services, including psychology and blood glucose and blood pressure monitors.
• Prime Extras. This high level extras option covers you for a broad range of extras and will allow you to claim back up to $8,750 in the first year.

Combined coverage

Australian Unity offers four specifically-designed combined policies.

• Care 'n' Repair (Basic Plus). Low-level cover designed with the young and healthy in mind. Includes cover for accidents, ambulance transport, and preventative dental care.
• Simple Saver (Basic Plus). This goes a little further than a basic policy. It could be good if you're relatively healthy, are looking to avoid the MLS and want some basic extras cover like dental treatment.
• Essential Choice (Bronze Plus). A decent range of hospital essentials such as chemotherapy, kidney and bladder, and sleep studies. Extras cover includes dental, optical and physio.
• Advantage Choice Combination (Silver Plus). Mid-level cover including joint reconstructions and the heart and vascular system plus extras such as major dental, podiatry and physio.
• Top Choice (Silver Plus). Comprehensive cover for a wide range of procedures and extras.

In addition to specifically-designed combination policies, Australian Unity gives customers the flexibility to mix and match any hospital and extras policies. This gives you a further 28 possible combinations to choose from:

Simple Hospital (Basic Plus) with Base Extras, Mid Extras, Active Extras or Prime Extras
Core Hospital (Bronze Plus) with Base Extras, Mid Extras, Active Extras or Prime Extras
Standard Hospital (Bronze Plus) with Base Extras, Mid Extras, Active Extras or Prime Extras
Midpoint Hospital (Silver Plus with Base Extras, Mid Extras, Active Extras or Prime Extras
Value Hospital (Silver Plus) with $100 daily co-pay and Base Extras, Mid Extras, Active Extras or Prime Extras
Classic Hospital (Silver Plus) with Base Extras, Mid Extras, Active Extras or Prime Extras
Complete Hospital (Gold) with $100 daily co-payment and Base Extras, Mid Extras, Active Extras or Prime Extras

Ambulance coverage

All Australian Unity insurance policies include cover for emergency ambulance transportation unless you live in Queensland or Tasmania – it's already free in these states.