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Australian Unity Health Insurance

With over 175 years of experience, Australian Unity offer mix and match policies to suit your needs.

Australian Unity Health Insurance

Australian Unity is a national healthcare, financial services and retirement living organisation that provides its services to more than half a million Australians. Australian Unity have been in the industry for over 175 years and offer a variety of health insurance services.

Top 3 features
  1. Good for mixing and matching, tailoring your policy to meet your needs.
  2. No waiting periods for switchers
  3. Fast and easy claiming with the mobile app

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Who is Australian Unity Health Insurance?

Australian Unity Health Insurance were established in 1840 in response to growing community needs that were not being met. Their aims today are to continue to find and help support the health and financial needs of the community, including both regional and urban areas.

What health insurance options are available?

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 not pre existing). Most extras policies have between 2 and 12 month waiting periods.

With Australian Unity, there are five different hospital and extras policies available for you to choose from. You'll be able to get cover for the services included in these policies when you sign up, subject to any waiting periods you might need to serve.

Hospital only cover

Australian Unity offers five different hospital policies:

  • Simple Hospital. Features include hospital cover for accidents and ambulance
  • Standard Hospital (Bronze Plus). Cover includes the 18 clinical categories required for a Bronze rating as well as some added perks.
  • Intermediate Hospital (Silver Plus). This product covers the 26 clinical categories required for a Silver rating and more.
  • Advanced Hospital (Silver Plus). Includes eye (not cataracts), joint replacements and pregnancy and birth.
  • Ultimate Hospital (Gold). This policy includes all 38 clinical categories required for a Gold rating.

Extras only cover

Australian Unity's standalone extras covers include Basic Extras, Standard Extras, Intermediate Extras, Classic Extras and Advanced 80%.

  • Basic Extras. Basic Extras covers up to $950 per year on extras including general and preventative dental, optical, physio, chiro, osteo, natural therapies, remedial massage, pharmacy and travel vaccinations.
  • Standard Extras. This policy provides up to $1,200 per year for the most common extras including general and preventative dental, physio, chiro, osteo, natural therapies and remedial massage, and crowns, bridges and dentures.
  • Intermediate Extras. This policy allows you to claim up to $3,400 per person and offers cover for a broad range of services.
  • Classic Extras. This high level extras option covers you for a broad range of extras and will allow you to claim back up to $6,730 per person.
  • Advanced 80%. This policy entitles you to 80% back on all included extras and offers the highest limits of all the extras policies with cover for up to $8,500.

Combined hospital and extras

Australian Health Unity offers a range of combined policies that include both hospital and extras cover packaged together. Some of these are simply two of the standalone policies brought together. Others include bespoke hospital and extras cover that differs slightly from the standalone policies mentioned above.

Policies that combine standalone hospital and extras policies:

  • Simple Hospital and Basic Extras. This is simply the standalone Simple Hospital policy combined with the standalone Basic Extras policy.
  • Standard Hospital (Bronze Plus) and Standard Extras. This is the standalone Standard Hospital (Bronze Plus) policy combined with the standalone Standard Extras policy.
  • Intermediate Hospital (Silver Plus) and Intermediate Extras. This is the standalone Intermediate Hospital (Silver Plus) policy combined with the standalone Intermediate Extras policy.
  • Classic Hospital and Classic Extras. This is the standalone Classic Hospital policy combined with the standalone Classic Extras policy.
  • Ultimate Hospital (Gold) and Advanced 80%. This is the standalone Ultimate Hospital (Gold) policy combined with the standalone Advanced 80% policy.

Policies that combine hospital cover and extras cover that you can't buy individually:

  • Simple Saver. This policy combines a hospital policy and an extras policy that you can't buy on their own. The hospital cover is very similar to the Simple Hospital policy and the extras cover offers a little bit more therapies cover than the Basic Extras policy.
  • Smart Start. The hospital cover sits between that of the Simple Hospital and Standard Hospital, while the extras is closer to the Classic Extras policy. This makes it ideal for someone young and healthy that doesn't need a lot of hospital cover but wants a decent amount of dental and optical cover.
  • Top Choice. The hospital cover on this policy is basically the Advanced Hospital policy without cover for pregnancy, weight loss surgery and assisted reproductive services. It combines this with an extras policy that is similar to the Intermediate Extras policy.

Information on tiers

The new classification system - Gold, Silver, Bronze and Basic - introduced by the Australian government on April 1 2019 means that Australian Unity have created a range of new policy options. Their Standard Hospital (Bronze Plus), Intermediate Hospital (Silver Plus) and Advanced Hospital (Silver Plus) all exceed the minimum standards set out by the government. That's why they are all classed as 'plus' categories.

Member offers

There are a range of offers and perks available for Australian Unity members including:

  • Up to 100% back on preventative dental with treatments including x-rays and custom mouthguards.
  • Unlike some health providers, with Australian Unity you can keep seeing your favourite providers, from your dentist to physiotherapist.
  • Many of Australian Unity's health covers offer Preventative Health Services to help you stay fit and healthy, including fitness training, weight loss and quit smoking programs.

How to make a claim

The claims process for Australian Unity varies depending on the type of service you need to claim.

If you need to make an extras claim you can do so in the following ways:

  • On the spot. You can swipe your Australian Unity membership card on the spot by using your health care provider's HICAPS or CSC machine.
  • Via the Australian Unity app. Australian Unity's mobile claiming app allows you to upload photos of your receipts to claim up to $300 at a time. The app is available from the App Store and Google Play.
  • Online. You can log into your Australian Unity online account to submit your claim.
  • Over the phone. You can call Australian Unity on 1800 807 144 to get your claim processed over the phone.
  • By mail, email or fax. The final option is to download a health cover claim form from the Australian Unity website, complete the form, attach your receipts and send everything off to the postal address, email address or fax number listed on the form

Overseas visitors or Students

If you're planning on visiting or working in Australia, Australian Unity have options available to make sure you get the right level of health insurance as part of your visa requirements.

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Australian Unity Extras Only Plans

Unsure about out-of-hospital costs like dental care and physiotherapy? This guide looks at how Australian Unity Extras Only Cover may be what you’re looking for.

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10 Responses

  1. Default Gravatar
    CharmaineMay 14, 2019

    I need an affordable health insurance for my husband who needs mini plates removed from his eye socket. Can’t have a long waiting period and he is a disability pensioner, what would you suggest.

    Reply
    • Avatarfinder Customer Care
      NikkiMay 15, 2019Staff

      Hi Charmaine,

      Thanks for getting in touch with Finder! To check and compare health providers for eye surgery, please refer to this page. For in-hospital major eye surgery this is typically two months, while for extras corrective eye surgery it is usually about 12 months. There is no private health insurance policy offered by any Australian fund that does not have waiting periods as a standard feature. Regardless of whether you choose hospital or extras cover, waiting periods usually apply to the benefits provided by your policy.

      However, this page explains how you can waive waiting periods since health funds do offer special promotions where they will waive the waiting periods on extras services to attract new members. In these cases, you are able to claim for relevant services as soon as your membership begins. These deals are especially common around the March switching period and during the lead up to the end of financial year.

      As a friendly reminder, carefully review the Product Disclosure Statement of the product before applying. You may also contact the insurance provider should you have any questions about their policy.

      Hope this helps!

      Best,
      Nikki

      Reply
  2. Default Gravatar
    MuhammadMarch 10, 2017

    Hi there

    I am staying at Perth under visa category Sub-class 489 (Family sponsor), Currently I am working as civil engineer in perth too. I am looking for couple health insurance to cover everything, Can you help me on this.

    Regards
    Muhammad

    Reply
    • Avatarfinder Customer Care
      ZubairMarch 13, 2017Staff

      Hi Muhammad,

      Thank you for your question.

      You have contacted finder.com.au, a comparison and information service and not actually Australian Unity Health Insurance.

      Australian Unity does provide cover for 489 visas, in order to apply for a cover, please head to our health insurance for 489 visa holders page.

      All the best,
      Zubair

      Reply
  3. Default Gravatar
    AnnetteNovember 15, 2016

    Is LHC paid monthly or just on joining

    Reply
    • Avatarfinder Customer Care
      RichardNovember 15, 2016Staff

      Hi Annette,

      Thanks for getting in touch. The LHC is a 2% loading applied to your premiums if you’ve not taken out cover by 1 July following your 31st birthday and this loading remains in affect until you’ve held hospital cover for 10 consecutive years. This 2% loading on your insurance premium increases for every year you are aged over 30 (e.g. at age 40 you will pay 20% more, at age 50 you’ll pay 40% more and so on). For more information, please consult our guide to the LHC.

      I hope this was helpful,
      Richard

      Reply
  4. Default Gravatar
    barryOctober 18, 2016

    does my extras cover podiatry

    Reply
    • Avatarfinder Customer Care
      RichardOctober 19, 2016Staff

      Hi Barry,

      Thanks for getting in touch. It will depend on your extras policy. Both Gold and Silver Extras from Australian Unity provide a $300 (excludes orthotics) and $350 benefit for podiatry respectively.

      All the best,
      Richard

      Reply
  5. Default Gravatar
    derickJuly 26, 2016

    can you please confirm that you will be continuing my 410 visa policy and that of my partner.
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Avatarfinder Customer Care
      RichardJuly 26, 2016Staff

      Hi Derick,

      Thanks for your question. finder.com.au is a comparison service and not an insurer. If you would like to speak with Australian Unity, you can do so by calling 13 29 39.

      All the best,
      Richard

      Reply
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