Australian Unity Health Insurance

Compare the full policy range offered by Australian Unity

Australia Unity Health Insurance options

Combined hospital and extras

Australian Unity offers four different combined hospital and extras packages including: Basic Starter, Smart Start, Smart Essentials and Smart Combination.

• Basic Starter
• Smart Start
• Smart Essentials
• Smart Combination

Hospital only cover

Australian Unity also offers hospital and extras cover as standalone products. Australian Unity Hospital Covers include Basic Hospital, Basic+ Hospital, Mid Hospital, Mid Hospital with Pregnancy, Gold Hospital and Platinum Hospital

• Basic Hospital
• Basic+ Hospital
• Mid Hospital
• Mid Hospital with Pregnancy
• Gold Hospital
• Platinum Hospital

Extras only cover

Australian Unity’s standalone extras covers include Basic Extras, Bronze Extras, Silver Extras, Gold Extras and Platinum 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.

• Bronze Extras. Bronze Extras 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.

• Silver Extras. Silver Extras offers cover for a broad range of services and allows you to claim up to $3,400 per person.
• Gold 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.
• Platinum 80%. This policy entitles you 80% back on all included extras and offers the highest limits of all the extras policies with cover for up to $8,500.

Are there any additional benefits?

It is important to Australian Unity that they find the right cover for your situation and that you’re only paying for services you need. These are some of the additional benefits that come with being an Australian Unity Insurance policyholder:

• Lifestyle packages. Australian Unity lifestyle packages have been created to motivate you to stay fit and healthy. The packages give you money back on a variety of different services that keep you healthy
• 30-day money back guarantee. If you are unsatisfied with your cover over the first 30 days, Australian Unity offers a 30-day cooling-off period.
• No excess for kids. With Platinum Hospital, Gold Hospital, Mid Hospital and Mid Hospital with Pregnancy there is no excess for your kids if they visit the hospital.

How many hospital agreements does Australian Unity have in my state and in total?

There are two main factors that affect the benefit you receive from your health fund for hospital services:

• The level of cover you choose
• Whether your health fund has an agreement with the hospital where you receive treatment

The table below lists the number of hospital agreements Australian Unity has in your state or territory compared to the maximum of any health fund across the industry:

How can I pay less for health insurance?

There are a number of ways that you can use to help you save on your Australian Unity Health Insurance:

• Suit your cover to your needs. Australian Unity offers a variety of options for health insurance, so it is important to choose the right cover. Australian Unity have a build your own policy options, which will allow you to tailor a policy to your needs.
• Pay your premiums up front. If you pay your premiums six months in advance, you're eligible to a 2% discount.
• Direct debit discount. If you set up a direct debit for your premiums, you're eligible for a 4% discount.
• Increase your excess. Increasing your excess will reduce your premiums. If you're healthy and less likely to make a claim on your insurance you will end up paying less in the long run.

Paying your Australian Unity health insurance premiums

Australian Unity premiums can be paid monthly or annually. A 4% discount applies if you pay your premium annually.

Premiums can be paid online or over the phone, or by direct debit from your nominated bank account or credit card. A 4% discount applies when you pay by direct debit but is not available in conjunction with the discount for paying annually.

Can I get cover if I'm not an Australian citizen?

Australian Unity have two options for those on working visas: Budget Workers Cover and Workers Cover Plus. These policies cover benefits including:

• In-hospital doctor and specialist consultations
• Overnight accommodation, day surgery and theatre fees in public hospitals
• Medically necessary ambulance services

Australian Unity also offer three levels of overseas visitors health cover on non-working visas: Basic, Mid and Top Overseas Visitors Cover. Benefits include:

• Accommodation and theatre fees
• Assistance with medical fees
• Day surgery
• Emergency room fees
• Emergency ambulance
• Prosthesis

How do I go about making 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.

The benefit payment will then be credited to your nominated bank account within two to three business days.

If you need to make a claim for emergency ambulance, all you have to do is:

1. Download and complete a health cover claim form from the Australian Unity website
2. Attach your ambulance receipt to the form
3. Mail or fax the form and your receipt to Australian Unity (the address and fax number are listed on the form)

Finally, if you need to claim for medical costs incurred with your surgeon or doctor, the claims process varies depending on whether or not your doctor participates in Australian Unity’s Gap Cover scheme:

• Participating doctors send your bill to Medicare and Australian Unity for payment
• Doctors who do not participate will send you a bill. You will then need to:
  • Visit Medicare and get them to issue a cheque for your doctor and a medical statement for your health fund
  • Download and complete an Australian Unity health cover claim form
  • Attach your medical statement from Medicare
  • Mail the form and medical statement to Australian Unity
  • Australian Unity will send a cheque for you to pass on to your doctor

Use the Australian Unity Claims app

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Australian Unity

Find out more about Australian Unity Health Insurance

Want to know more about Australian Unity? Here is some more info about Australian Unity to help you make your decision:

How many members does Australian Unity service?

Australian Unity has more than 340,000 health insurance members around Australia. This gives it a total market share of 3.1%.

What do Australian Unity members think about their cover?

Australian Unity accounts for:

• 3.1% of the Australian health insurance market
• 5.1% of all complaints about benefit payments
• 5.7% of all complaints about service
• 4.8% of all complaints that require investigation

^{_{Source: Private Health Insurance Ombudsman, State of the Health Fund Report 2016}}

Still have some questions? FAQs about Australian Unity

• Is Australian Unity nonprofit?

  No. However, as Australian Unity is a mutual company it does return profits to its members.

• Does Australian Unity offer ambulance cover?

  Aside from Basic Hospital and Budget Overseas Visitors Cover, all Australian Unity hospital and combined policies cover emergency ambulance transportation.

• Can I get dental cover with Australian Unity?

  Yes. All Australian Unity extras policies (including combined hospital and extras policies) provide some level of dental cover.

• Can I get optical cover with Australian Unity?

  Yes. Optical cover is included on all Australian unity extras policies and all Australian unity combined policies (except Basic Saver).

• Can I get physio cover with Australian Unity?

  Yes. All Australian Unity extras policies (including combined hospital and extras policies) provide some level of cover for physiotherapy.

• Can I get chiro cover with Australian Unity?

  Yes, chiropractic services are covered by all Australian Unity extras policies (including combined hospital and extras policies).

• Can I get pharmacy cover with Australian Unity?

  Yes. Pharmacy is included in the Gold Extras policy.

• Can I get natural therapies cover with Australian Unity?

  Yes. Acupuncture and remedial massage are covered by all standalone extras policies, while Gold Extras adds cover for naturopathy. In addition, all of Australian Unity’s combined hospital and extras policies include cover for natural therapies.

• Can I get acupuncture cover with Australian Unity?

  Yes. Acupuncture is covered and all Australian unity extras policies and combined hospital and extras policies.

• Can I get psych/group therapy cover with Australian Unity?

  Yes. Psychology cover is included as part of the Gold Extras policy.

• Can I get preventative cover with Australian Unity?

  Yes. Preventative dental is covered by all extras policies, while Gold Extras adds cover for travel vaccinations. All of Australian Unity’s combined hospital and extras policies also cover preventative dental, while travel vaccinations are covered by the Smart Start, Smart Essentials and Smart Combination policies.

• Can I get hearing aid cover with Australian Unity?

  Yes. Hearing aids are covered by the Gold Extras policy.

• Can I get Australian Unity health insurance as an international student?

  No. Australian Unity does not provide any policies suitable for international students visiting Australia on a student visa.

• Can I get Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC) with Australian Unity?

  Yes. Australian Unity offers OVHC policies for international visitors on working and non-working visas.